Fire&Ice: Girl on Fire and Boy with the Ice Eyes
by MayOddsBeEverInYourFavor
Summary: We saw how the Games and a Rebellion changed the lives of the supposed "star-crossed lovers of District Twelve", but what happens when Girl on Fire Katniss Everdeen is finally ready to admit what she was so afraid to before? Who unexpectedly shows up? This story takes place right after the end of 'Mockingjay' but sort of disregards the epilogue by going more quickly. AU
1. Chapter 1: Somebody that I Used to Know

Disclaimer: I assure you that I am not [unfortunately] the amazing Suzanna Collins, and therefore do not own the brilliance that is Hunger Games. I simply own this small little speck of a story but not the characters created by Ms Collins

A/N: I hope you enjoy this; I am on summer vacation from college so I will post everyday/every other day and hopefully it will be done by September. If you have any questions please contact me, even if you see a mistake, I would definitely want someone to point that out to me.

As you can see this chapter title is one of a song, most if not all titles will have one or somewhere a song will be mentioned, but I will point it out for you. Sorry I am a music person.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Somebody That I used to Know [Gotye]

_My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am from District 12. District 12 is in ruins from the rebellion against the Capitol. I caused the rebellion from my first time in the Hunger Games. I survived the Hunger Games. I am the Mockingjay. I did not want to be the Mockingjay. Panem is no longer under the tyranny of President Snow. My sister Prim is dead and it is my entire fault. I must learn to put my life back together. My life will not be complete without Peeta._

I sit on the wooden bench in the middle of the evening primrose garden that Peeta had planted for me only three short weeks ago when he had returned to district 12. The cool winter had come and gone, and spring was in full bloom. The flowers were blooming and the earth was pollinating and the songbirds were singing. And Rue was always there singing with them in my mind.

The relationship between Peeta and I to this point had continued to sail on rocky waters, but the ice had defrosted, and we were slowly allowing one another back into each other's world again.

This happened more out of necessity than a desire, still neither of us could get a good night's rest without lying in the other's arms, but I was still too afraid to ask for something so personal from this new Peeta. Peeta had his paintings, yes; but what did I have when I woke up from nightmares of roses that reeked of blood and watching the light leave my sisters eyes in the middle of the capitol as she died in fire. A fire created by my best friend. I had an empty house. And Peeta. I had Peeta. And soon that necessity became a desire to have him around.

Suddenly I could smell the delicacies of a Sunday morning flowing from across the street at Peetas house and I knew he had made a favorite breakfast treat. Cinnamon buns with a ridiculous amount of sugary sweet gooey icing spread across the top.

While my empty stomach and my watering and impatient taste buds told me to rush over to his house and eat them before he was even done, I decided to wait for him to come over here and let him "surprise" me like he always tries.

Peeta and I have a nice arrangement. He likes to spoil me, and I like to be spoiled by him. As if on cue, not even ten minutes later Peeta approached me holding four cinnamon buns on a plate, and sporting his adorable toothy grin.

"Good morning Katniss. I've brought something for you, well actually a couple things for you." I took the plate from him and placed it on the small table in front of us. Once his hands are free he pulls out a small rectangular box and hands it to me.

"What could I possibly have done to deserve this?" I laughed nervously. I opened it to find the most beautiful gift I had ever received. "I thought I lost it."

Sitting inside of this box was a pearl the very same pearl that Peeta gave to me on the beach during the Quarter Quell, only now it hung gracefully at the end of a beautiful silver chain.

"It killed me watching you search and search for it, but I had to do something to make this day good for you somehow…" he trailed off as I looked at him, my confusion apparent.

"Katniss…It's May 8th, today is your birthday."

My eyebrows furrow together in concentration as I attempt to remember the time of year and past few weeks. My eyes bugged as I realized that this day truly was my eighteenth birthday.

"Wow, it is isn't it? Where did the time go?" I joked and removed the dainty necklace from its box. Though this is something I would not usually wear, this pearl is a symbol of so much for me, and for Peeta. For Peeta I would do anything.

Peetas face scrunched together as he took the necklace from my hand and hooked it around my neck. "Well Kat, you did spend a lot of time…er…avoiding life. Hell so did I. We would both probably still be in bed if Haymitch didn't come and pour a bucket of water on me because he was hungry." Peeta laughed at the memory of our drunken mentor getting his own revenge on a depressed Peeta.

But once Peeta faced the world, he wouldn't allow me to mope and sulk any longer.

"So is there anything special you want for your birthday Ms. Everdeen?" Peeta asked, standing up to give me a proper bow. I chuckled at how Effie Trinket would think he was the most polite boy in all of District 12, when in all actuality he was making fun of the Capitol mannerisms.

Suddenly there were things going through my head of what I truly wanted for my birthday from Peeta. That only Peeta could give me. _I want to go back to how we were before the Quell, how I felt on the beach of the Quell even. I want to have a nightmare free sleep in his arms, I want to feel the intense burn that grows out to my fingers and toes when he kisses me. I want to hear him say he loves me. And most of all I want the chance to tell him that I love him, and I don't know when I even started._

But I know that this cannot happen. At least it can't yet. He is not yet my Peeta, the boy with the bread; but instead he is the Peeta who is still trying to figure out just how evil I am and am not. The Peeta who cannot love me until he knows what is real.

"Katniss?" Peeta attempts to get my attention, obviously I had been quiet for too long.

Before I know what I'm doing the words are rolling off of my tongue and slipping out of my lips. "I want you to have dinner with me tonight. And maybe go for a walk or something after."

He gives me a look of confusion before answering. "Katniss, the three of us eat together every night, and me and you take walks all the time."

"No, just you and I. Not Haymitch." I explain. I felt a hot redness in my face begin to creep up to my cheeks as Peetas handsome smile begins to stretch across his scarred, yet still beautiful face.

He knelt down so that he was eye level with me and picked up one of my hands, lacing his with mine. I got excited, I began to think maybe he could feel comfortable enough with me to try and go back to normal, if it were even possible." Nothing would make me happier." He kissed my hand and stood to walk off towards his house where he would bake as much as possible to hand out to the few people who were residing in District 12 during the rebuild.

I smiled a huge, jaw hurting, ear to ear smile. I smile a smile that would disgust me two years ago had I seen it on anybody else. I take one more deep breath to smell the evening primroses before I pick up the plate of pastries and head inside to collect my father's hunting jacket and a pair of boots.

I quickly eat; or rather inhale, one of the sugary twisted treats before deciding to take one over to the favorite town drunk or at least my favorite drunk.

I walk down three houses and cross the street and notice that Haymitches geese are nowhere to be seen. While usually this would be cause for celebration for myself or Peeta- the only two people who are willing to step anywhere near this house- something tells me the fact that they cannot be seen or heard is not a good thing.

I walk up the two steps of his porch and open the door. Suddenly I knew the feeling in my gut was right. As the door swung open three geese flew out at me squawking before landing on the lawn. I yelped and started swatting them away with my hands. While I may have survived two hunger games, your everyday variety geese are not something I exactly know how to deal with. From inside I heard the belly laughter of my mentor followed by a crash and even harder laughter.

I stomped inside to see what the ruckus was about and found Haymitch sitting on the floor with a bottle of brown liquor in his hand and another goose sitting on the couch. Haymitch looked at me and stopped laughing.

"Hey sweetheart, what brings you around geese here parts." He started laughing at his own joke, but I simply shook my head.

"I brought you a cinnamon bun." I told him, handing him the wrapped treat. With the mention of sweets his eyes glazed over, even more for being drunk at nine in the morning, and he snatched the treat from me.

"Whatever is the occasion?" he asked with a full mouth. My thoughts went to Effie for the second time that morning.

"Peeta baked them for my…birthday." I said quietly. Haymitch stopped chewing and swallowed loudly. He looked at me for what felt like minutes but what was probably only a few seconds.

"So loverboy remembers your birthday, huh sweetheart?" he pokes taking another bite of the pastry. I nodded, unsure how to respond. He gave me a look. A look that said _You know what I am about to say sweetheart._ And the truth was, I did know what he was about to say. I just truly wished he would not say it.

"Don't expect this to be it. For it to all go back to normal, pre-hijacking Peeta and Katniss love dovey blah blah blah. He still has a lot of work to do. While he remembers some, he still needs to create new memories, and he still needs to filter out the truth from the falsified. So listen here sweetheart, and listen hard, if you are going to go down this road with him, you better make sure you are in it for the long haul, not the, why not give it a chance, or the , got no one better. You're either all in, or out. Hear me?"

While I couldn't help but be extremely offended by his accusations, I had to admit I understood where he was coming from. I had hurt Peeta enough in the past, and hurting Peeta in the state that he is in is the last thing that anyone needs. It is also the last thing that I want to do.

"I am all in Haymitch." I said with a slight tone of anger in my voice. I stood from my chair and walked from his filthy house and towards the town.

With all of the destruction and changes in the district, the woods were still something of a constant. Thick with trees, vegetation and game; my sanctuary had been virtually untouched. I stepped through the whole in the fence, which would be repaired and fitted with a gate where all citizens would have access to go through at some point during the rebuild, and walked into the trees.

I walked over to the log where I hid my bow, even though it wasn't necessary for me to do so anymore and slipped the sheath onto my back. I walked through the woods and reset my snares, hoping that I would be able to catch enough game to give some to Greasy Sae and Hazelle before making dinner for myself and Peeta tonight.

Peeta. My thoughts always went back to Peeta. Was it so wrong to want to try and get my Peeta back? I could not simply accept that he was gone forever, there were moments when I would look into his clear blue eyes and see the eyes I would meet from across the school yard before they quickly turned away. But then there were those days that the darkness would seep through the ice blue and take over him. But I knew he was there, if not always.

I walked lightly through the trees, keeping my eyes peeled for any game. As I felt the hours pass and the sun shift in the sky, I had shot three squirrels and two rabbits, in addition to collecting the three squirrels from the snares I had set. My game bag wasn't exactly full, but I definitely had enough to share, Peeta and I only needed two squirrels to fill us up. I walked through the woods and searched for some greens and berries, collecting as I go.

I walk back into town, stopping at Greasy Saes and Hazelles to drop off a portion of todays hunt before making my way back to Victors Village.

"Hi Katniss!" Little Posy said running up to me and wrapping her arms around my legs. I smiled, the littlest Hawthorne had begun to remind me more and more of a little Prim. She was just as sweet and caring as my darling sister. Images of Prims last moments began to flash before my eyes and I pushed them to the back of my mind. _Not today Katniss. Today you start to rebuild, just like the district._ I thought. I smiled and bent down to pick her up.

"Hello little one." I poked her nose and watched as both her eyes and her smile laughed. She put her arms around my neck and squeezed.

"Katniss, you really do not have to do this for us, we can feed ourselves!" Hazelle tried to convince me. I simply shook my head, refusing to listen to her.

"No Hazelle, I will never accept that. I was actually thinking maybe I would take Rory out and teach him how to hunt. That way you wouldn't feel so bad about taking the food." I looked hopefully at Hazelle as she peered into the other room at her two sons. _Gale should be here to teach him how to hunt._ Is what I imagined was going through her head. But Gale was the last thing that I wanted to think about at that moment, but every time I walked into that house, with the family who had been so much like my own, it was impossible not to.

"I would like that, I'm sure he would like that too." She responded with a smile. I couldn't tell, but I was pretty sure she didn't just mean Rory when she said "he". She called Rory into the Kitchen where we sat and explained how I would be taking him out two days from today.

As Rory smiled and thanked me with much enthusiasm, Posy began to trace the lines of my scars on my arms of where the skin grafts met my real skin. I froze, the smile melting away from my face. My eyes snapped from Rory and Hazelle, who had frozen as well at the young girls actions, and looked down at little Posy. Her eyes were furrowed in concentration as she traced from my elbow to the tip of my index finger. She looked at me, a trace of oncoming tears in her beautiful green eyes.

"Does it still hurt Katniss? The scars?" she asked, her small hand cupping my face. A tear escaped her lashes and I wiped it away.

"Not nearly as much as seeing you upset, Posy." I managed a small smile, but as her tears disappeared and she smiled brightly, my full smile game back too.

"I love you Katniss." She hugged me and jumped off my lap to go outside. I smiled at a sniffling Hazelle and stood to leave, but I was stopped at the door.

"Hey Kat, do you think you could, maybe, do me a favor… maybe." Vick asked, blushing profusely.

"Sure Vick, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind, that is if you get the chance and everything, asking Peeta if he wouldn't mind teaching me how to bake. You know if he were up to it. In turn I would do all of his deliveries and anything he needed me too. I just, want to learn, and it could help my family. I can't see myself as a hunter." Vick told me in a rush. I smiled.

"Of course I will Vick!" I told him "And I won't leave him alone until he has been convinced, not that I think it will take much. He's been saying he needs some help." He gave me a light hug and ran off with his brother. I gave a slight nod to Hazelle to responded by rushing over to me to give me a hug of her own. This one surprised me the most.

It had been in my head that she blamed me, like everybody else, for the horrors that have raked our nation. But even more so, I believed that she blamed me for her oldest son not being there, not coming home to the District when his family did.

"You have no clue how happy you just made my children, all of them." She said pushing back from me. She held my head in between her two hands and looked at me intently. "I want you to know, between you and I, you have every right to be angry with my son." The words shocked me to my very core. This is not what I was ever expecting. "I will never treat you anything other than the young seam girl my son hunted with in the woods, who stole my entire family's heart; do you understand me Katniss?" I nodded, I feared if I spoke, my composure, my mouth, my thoughts, they would all betray me. I simply grabbed onto her and squeezed. She was always the one to give me the motherly talks that I craved when my mother was in her depression far too deep to think of anything else but herself.

I walked from what was once referred to as the seam, what was once my home through town square towards Victors Village; my new home, a place far too grand for someone like myself. Yet I was far too selfish to ever give it up. I walked past my house and Peetas house and down to Haymitches once again. I knocked on the door this time, afraid that the geese were once again not in the back yard. "Come in!" I heard my mentor shout from inside the ripe house.

I walked in vigilantly, waiting for fowl at every corner that was ready to become poultry for this evenings dinner. I dropped a squirrel in the refrigerator and walked out to the den where I knew I would find a drunken Haymitch unmoving in front of the television.

"You know, this show of Plutarch's just keeps getting better and better. These guys can really sing!" he slurred out in amazement.

"I put a squirrel in the fridge if you plan on eating tonight. I have to go, but I'll stop by tomorrow and… amuse you somehow or another." I said with a scowl on my face. _Hell maybe I'll just clean this place so I can stand being here for more than five minutes._ I thought to myself.

"Oh yes, Peeta stopped by and told me the big dinner plans. He is quite excited. I of course wasn't invited because the star-crossed lovers from twelve are going to be a little busy getting busy." I glared at him, my fists clenched. It took everything in me not to throw myself across the room and punch him in the gut. I knew if I had he would probably vomit and I would be the one left to clean it up.

"Good bye Haymitch." I said through clenched teeth before slamming the door behind me.

By the time I had finally made it back to my house dusk was approaching and I knew I had maybe an hour to shower and dress before Peeta took the short walk over. I showered quickly and tied my wet hair into the simple braid that adorned my hair more often than not before walking over to my closet. I went to reach for a pair of dark denim pants before something bright caught my eye from the back. I pushed the clothes that I wore everyday to the side to reveal the beautiful yet heart wrenching memories of one of my greatest friends. _Cinna, even from beyond the grave you're my fashion guru. It's like you always know._ I thought, though it was slightly morbid, the idea of Cinnas spirit standing next to me telling me what to wear and that he was still betting on me, if he were allowed to bet that is, brought a smile to face.

I leafed through the beautiful fabrics that I had ignored for far too long until had found the piece I was looking for. It was a simple dusty orange dress that came down to my mid thigh and was cut low in my back, where instead there was black lace. The sleeves went down to my elbows, but they didn't stick to my skin, the fabric was perfect like that. It wasn't tight and form fitting, but comfortable and light. But most importantly, I knew Peeta would love it. I looked on the floor of my closet and found a pair of black flats to match and took them out for our walk later on.

I heard the door open and close before Peeta yelled out my name. Though I was instantly nervous, I was just as excited. I rushed out of my room and down the stairs to meet him.

I walked into the kitchen and found him getting out pots and pans.

"I asked you over here for dinner, a.k.a. I am making _you_ dinner." I told him. He looked up at me from the cabinet and his jaw dropped. "What's wrong? Is it the scars?" I started to feel uncomfortable and crossed my arms across my torso. Cinna had never steered me wrong before, why this time? I began to slowly back out of the room, trying to hold back the tears that had started to well up in my eyes.

Peeta finally snapped out of it and ran to me, grasping my arms. "Oh Katniss, no, God no!" he exclaimed. "You just, you look." He let out a breath as his eyes bugged dramatically. His expression turned serious as he looked me in the eye. "Katniss, you look absolutely beautiful. It just took me by surprise. I don't know why though, you're always gorgeous." He chuckled awkwardly as he let go of my arms and went back to preparing dinner.

"And by the way, you are so not allowed to cook tonight." Peeta said with a twinkle in his ice blue ice. _Fire and Ice,_ I thought,_ we are the perfect balance. We are: the Girl on Fire and the Boy with the Ice Blue Eyes._

"And why is that?" I asked him.

"Well dear girl, you can't cook worth a damn." He looked at me, his cocky smirk plastered against his ridiculously handsome face. I give my best attempt at a scowl before I break and start chuckling.

"Well I suppose you will just have to teach me sometime." I told him.

"Yeah, I'd like that." He said, a genuine smile this time. Now that I had him greased with a bit of flirting, not that I didn't mind it myself, I thought I would bring up Vicks request.

"So how would you feel about a bit of a…let's call it an apprentice?" I asked him. Peeta carefully placed the pieces of squirrel into the skillet before looking at me.

"So Vick wants to learn to bake huh?" He asked with another cocky grin. It was my turn for my jaw to drop

"How-?" I was at a loss for words. Words were a Peeta thing.

"I deliver bread to Hazelle every day, and every day Vick says how awesome it must be to be able to bake and be able to feed oneself. He seems really interested. I was actually going to suggest it myself, but I wanted to talk to you about it first, make sure that you would be okay with me spending time with Vick." He didn't have to explain it any further. I understood what he meant.

I tried to stop myself. I really did, but at that moment, Peeta wasn't just somebody that I used to know, or somebody just learn who they are again, but he was the Peeta that loved me no matter what the Capitol tried to do to him, loved me despite hijacking and Hunger Games. I tried not to, but I promised myself, and I promised Peeta that I would live.

I tried not to crash my lips upon his for myself for the first time. I tried not to entangle my fingers in his hair. I tried not to feel the rush and the heat spreading through my body like wild fire. And I tried not to get excited when his hands grabbed onto my waist and pulled me closer.

But then he pushed away from me. Our faces were flushed and I had a smile plastered to my face.

"Peeta I love you." I said in a jumbled rush. He smiled brightly but looked towards the ground.

"I honestly wasn't expecting this. I've been waiting for those words; even now I still love you. But honestly, I need to think." He kissed my forehead and ran from my house, closing the door behind him.

_Maybe Peeta is just somebody that I used to know._


	2. Chapter 2: 40 oz to Freedom

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own HG or the characters never have and never will. :]

A/N: I know it seems like Peeta is not having issues with the hijacking in my story, but it is definitely going to be in here.

Chapter 2: 40 oz. to Freedom [Sublime]

"_I honestly wasn't expecting this. I've been waiting for those words; even now I still love you. But honestly, I need to think."_

Was this real, did Peeta, whatever Peeta he may or may not be, run from me because I said what he, apparently, wanted to hear. Evidently I had made a huge mistake. Things couldn't be the same; they couldn't be like I wanted them to be. We couldn't find our way back to the people we used to be before the war. Peeta was the last person I thought would hurt me like this.

I wasn't thinking clearly, then again, I can't remember the last time I had thought completely rationally. I turned off the stove, not even bothering to put the food away, at this point, I didn't really care. I went to the cabinet where I kept the "just in case" stash of white liquor for Haymitch and took a bottle out for myself. I uncorked the bottle and tipped it back, taking a large gulp. I cringed, but the gasoline taste and the fire I felt going down my esophagus made everything feel real again; I took solace in the pain. _A pain I knew I deserved. _

After drinking almost half of the bottle and watching Buttercup pick at the food still in the skillet I stood and walked out of the door, forgoing shoes. I stumbled down the street until I was out front of Haymitches door. I barged through and stumbled over to the couch, falling next to him.

"Your favorite is an asshole." I told him, taking another sip of the liquid fire. Haymitch looked at me, grabbing my face and staring into my eyes. I don't know what he was looking for, and I don't know what he saw, but he dropped my face and took the bottle away from me before standing and walking towards the cupboard in the corner.

"Hey! You aren't the only one who can drown their sorrows!" I exclaimed with a slight slur.

"No sweetheart, you are right." He came back with two bottles filled with a brown liquid, and handed me one. "But this right here, this is for heartbreak." I looked at him and saw that he had sorrow in his eyes, like he knew what I was going through. I uncorked the bottle and tilted the bottle back into my mouth. It had a similar warm burn, but the taste was not nearly as gasoline like.

"This is actually kind of good." I commented. Haymitch chuckled and took a swig of his own drink.

"This…this is whiskey. This is what I keep for my dark days." He said with a dark chuckle. I nodded and took another gulp that made the hair on my arms stand on its ends.

We sat there, drowning ourselves in drink. I knew that tomorrow I would pay for this, that tomorrow my body would scream at me, that tomorrow Haymitch would probably scream at me, but I didn't care, tonight I just wanted to forget the boy with the bread. It wasn't for a good two hours until Haymitch finally asked the question I had been waiting for.

"So he didn't respond well I take it." Haymitch said, looking at me for the first time in an hour. I had thought Haymitch was the one person that words were not needed. Evidently I was wrong. I turned my head and scowled, Haymitch responded by busting out laughing, grabbing his stomach and falling off the couch. His scene in turn makes me give a belly laugh of my own. Neither of us noticed as the front door swung open.

"Haymitch, I need someone to talk-"Peeta began. He obviously hadn't expected to walk in on me and Haymitch rolling around laughing drunk on the floor. But then again, would anybody expect to see that? "Haymitch, what the fuck did you do to her?" Peeta yelled at our mentor. We paused and looked at Peeta during his outburst before beginning another round of laughing.

Peeta came up to me and gripped my arm and pulled me to my feet. "Hey now lover boy, she came to me this way, I just gave her a little company." Haymitch told him, trying to defend himself.

"And whiskey." I added to Peeta, showing him the half empty bottle of brown liquor. He growled and grabbed the bottle from my hand, slamming it down on the table.

"Come on I am taking you home." He said forcefully. I could tell he was angry, but I didn't care, he had no right to be. I had the right to be angry. I had the right to be hurt, to be upset. Not him, not at all. But I was too out of it to fight, I didn't care. I was Haymitch.

"Take care of her lover boy, I'll check on you tomorrow sweetheart." I could hear Haymitch say from his place on the floor. I couldn't feel my body, I was numb; it was a feeling I had been looking for so long, but it wasn't as pleasant as I hoped it would be. Peeta wrapped his arm around my waist and helped me from the house.

"What were you thinking Katniss?" Peeta grumbled under his breath.

"Well, _lover boy," _I laughed at my impersonation of Haymitch; even Peeta couldn't resist a small grin. "I was trying to nurse my broken heart." Peetas smile melted away from his face as we reached my front yard. I wasn't even sure how we got there.

We went inside and he helped me up the stairs and into my room, he went to pull back the blankets for me, turning his back to me. Without thinking I unzipped the back of my dress and let it fall to the floor. Peeta turned around to help me into bed, and stopped at the shock of me in my underwear.

"Katniss what the hell are you doing?" He asked, his voice dripping with shock. I ignored him and climbed into bed under the blanket. I grabbed Peeta and pulled him so that he fell clumsily onto the bed.

"Stay with me." I demanded. I looked at him, waiting for him to saying. Praying, wishing, hoping, and needing for him to say it.

He straightened himself out, sitting properly on his bed and took of his shoes. He got under the blanket and brushed the loose hairs out of my eyes. "Always," he smiled. It was like he knew what I was waiting for. I smiled and put my arm around his torso, lying my head on his chest, listening to his beating heart.

"Peeta, do you love me?" I asked him. He simply chuckled and squeezed me tighter.

"More than you can even imagine." Satisfied with his answer, I allowed myself to drift off to sleep.

My head was pounding, my stomach was churning, my skin was crawling and I wanted to vomit. I opened my eyes before subsequently shutting them when the bright sun light poured into my pupils. I lay in bed for a moment, feeling my shrunken, dehydrated brain pound, begging for water as the event from last night flashed behind my eyes. And then they opened in a panic. I looked to my left and saw that Peeta wasn't laying there next to me. But I knew he was there, I could smell the cheese buns.

I got out of bed and looked down. I this was one part I did not remember. I went to my dresser and put on a white t-shirt and denim pants. I was too thirsty and hungry to avoid going downstairs; I knew I owed Peeta an apology for the way I behaved yesterday.

I walked into the kitchen and was greeted with a smiling Peeta.

"Good morning beautiful." He said, coming up to me and giving me a kiss on the cheek. He went over to the fridge and pulled out a small glass of a dark green liquid and shoved it into my hand. "Drink this, Haymitch dropped it off." I grimaced at the thought of drinking anything that Haymitch told me too. Peeta simply laughed and told me that my reward would be a cheese bun. I quickly downed the liquid and chased it with a glass of water. It wasn't long before my headache and queasiness was gone.

"I don't want to know what was in that do I?" I asked with a laugh. Peeta chuckled.

"No probably not." He sat down across from me at the kitchen table and grinned a cocky grin.

"I'm sorry. I really don't know what else to say." Peeta just shook his head and took my hand.

"No. I am the one who should be sorry. Do you know why I went over there last night?" I shook my head. "Because I knew Haymitch would tell me how stupid I was for running out on you." I smiled and squeezed his hand.

This time I didn't try to stop myself. I stood up and walked around to the other side of the table. I sat down on Peetas lap and lightly kissed him. When I pulled away we were both grinning like neither of us had a problem or heartache in the world.

When we were finished our own breakfast, I decided that I would go with Peeta to deliver the bread he had been busy baking in my kitchen this morning while I slept. Our first stop was my drinking buddy.

As we walked hand in hand down the street, I took notice to a commotion occurring across the street from Haymitches house. There was a car parked out front and boxes scattered across the lawn. We walked up curiously, only the three of us had lived in the village for, and even though we had been told it was possible for people to stay or even move into the other houses but we hadn't actually expected it.

"Hello there!" The man said happily running up to us, and what I assumed was his wife followed closely behind him. "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is August Hill, this is my wife Arianna." He said holding out his hand. Peetas expression remained hard, but he shook his hand regardless.

"Arianna, what room do you want me to put your trunk in?" A familiar male voice asked from the door. I watched as Peetas eyes snapped toward the direction of the voice. The two young men made eye contact. Peeta stood, too shocked to move. Part of me was afraid that he would fly into a flash back, but he didn't. The owner of the voice walked forward and placed a hand on Peetas shoulder.

Peeta simply stared at him as if he wasn't real. The newcomer spoke again. "Hello little brother."


	3. Chapter 3: Unknown Brother

A/N: Hey, sorry for not posting yesterday, family drama is kind of the killer of free time. At the moment I am on the phone helping my grandmother write a letter to the courts and typing this haha.

In other news: Thank you SO MUCH for reading and for those of you who reviewed and added this story/me to your favorites and alerts. You all seriously made my week.

Without any further ado I give you….Mom-mom the letter is fine! Jesus...

I mean…

Chapter 3: Unknown Brother [The Black Keys]

Peeta backed away from his older brother and turned to me. His hands were clenched into tight fists to the point where his knuckles were turning white. I held his face between my hands and forced him to look into my eyes.

"My brother is here, alive, moving into Victors Village; real or not real?" He demands. I look from him to the quizzical looks we were getting from Leo and the others.

"I-uh-real, I think. No, yes, real. Definitely real." I told him with little confidence. Peeta gripped my hand tightly, to the point where I believed I would have a nasty bruised, and faced his brother once again.

"Leo, I…I thought you all died? Where's dad and Artemis," he attempted a fake smile for the next name "where's mom?"

Leo smiled brightly and tried to answer Peeta "Artie is in the house, unfortunately, mom and dad didn't make it." Peeta simply nodded, but I knew he wasn't disappointed, after all he thought his whole family was dead, just to find his brothers alive. My thoughts; however, jumped to the kind baker who brought me cookies the day of the reaping. Leo turned to me with a smile.

"And then we have Miss Katniss Everdeen. It is nice to finally meet you, officially." Leo said pleasantly, holding out a hand to shake mine.

"Nice to meet you too, Leo." It took everything in me not to ask the one question I knew both Peeta and I were thinking. _How are you here? Where did you escape to? How did you know to escape?_ As Leo let go of my hand, the eldest Mellark brother exited the house.

From his facial expression and the way he carried himself, I could tell that he was more like their mean and abusive mother than their kind caring father. He stopped in front of Peeta and gave what I believed was his best attempt at a smile.

"Starting the family reunion without me?" Artemis asked jokingly. Peeta simply laughed and hugged his brother, Artemis looked uncomfortable the entire time. While he may have been the youngest, Peeta stood taller than both of his brothers.

Leo and Peeta could have been twins. Leo had the same curly blond hair and ice blue eyes as Peeta, but where Peeta was fit and muscular; Leo was thin, and lanky. I remember seeing him on the school grounds and thinking he could have lived in the Seam one year because he looked almost sickly. In the past couple of years he had gained some weight, and no longer looked ill, but he was still quite thin. Artemis on the other hand was not a person I felt at ease around. His hair was a light shade of brown and cut extremely short, unlike his two brothers with shaggy length hair. His shoulders were broad but he wasn't exactly muscular, neither was he thin. But his size wasn't what scared me, it was his eyes. His eyes were blue, like his brothers, like many merchants, but they had a darkness to them, a slight shade of evil. It took me a moment to recognize where I had seen those same eyes before. They were the eyes of a hijacking flashback. The same darkness which fills Peetas eyes when he see's visions of me hurting him. I backed away slightly.

"Everdeen," Artemis spit with a curt nod. I was too afraid to respond. Instead I turned to Peeta.

"Peeta, you should spend some time, er, catching up with your brothers. I need to go check on Haymitch, make sure he eats something before his binge. I'll deliver the bread too." I took the bags out of hands and kissed him on the cheek. I wanted to run, get away from him as soon as possible. I don't know why he scared me so much, but I knew he couldn't be trusted, not yet, not until I knew everything.

Peeta grabbed my hand before I could run across the street. "Come t my house tonight around six? We'll retry your birthday dinner?" I forced a smile and nodded before running across the street and into the house.

"Haymitch!" I yelled frantically, running into the living room, only to find no one there.

"In here, sweetheart!" I heard him yell from the kitchen. I ran in and dropped the bags on the table. "What now?" a surprisingly sober Haymitch asked.

"Peetas brothers are alive, but something isn't right with one of them." I said cautiously. Haymitch looked at me like I had been hitting the bottle again. I grabbed his hand and led him the front window, showing him the scene across the street. He watched silently. Haymitch was by far one of the best judges of characters I knew, and had no problem telling me if I was just being paranoid. He watched as Artemis stood hard and cold towards the strangers, and his two brothers, never showing signs of happiness or sadness. Just anger or neutrality.

"Who are the squares?" He asked referring to the Hill's.

"August and Arianna Hill, not quite sure who they are, but they speak with an odd accent."

"Capitol?"

"No, it's an accent I have never heard before." I looked at his face. "Haymitch what's wrong?"

"They couldn't have…" he mumbled under his breath. With that he ran outside and up to the Hills. Haymitch was nowhere near presentable to be meeting newcomers in his bath robe and greasy hair, but as usual he didn't care.

"You, speak, now!" He demanded pointing a finger in Augusts face. August simply smiled

"I see you have figured me out Mr. Abernathy!" August laughed joyfully.

"How did you get them out?" Haymitch demanded. By this point I was back to holding a very confused Peetas hand, I myself hadn't figured out what was going on, but Haymitch had. He was always two steps ahead of us.

"There were always ways out; people just didn't look hard enough." Arianna answered this time.

"Haymitch, what is going on?" I asked. But Haymitch wasn't the one to answer me. This time it was Peetas turn to be a step ahead.

"Oh my god, you're from Saol." He said breathlessly. My head snapped to look at him. Saol was a myth, something of a Utopia that only the truly naïve would speak of and tell stories of in the roughest of times to make themselves feel hope. It was a place that started out like Panem, and turned its fortunes. Just the mere mention of it before the rebellion was punishable by death. But many believed it was out there, somewhere whole and happy, while the people of Panem starved and reaped its children to fight to the death. Saol was said to be the remains of a place once known as Europe.

"Peeta don't be ridiculous. Saol, really? It's a myth." I told him. I instantly had six voices telling me it was indeed real.

"Saol is as real as that nightlock you tried to shove down my brothers' throat, Everdeen." Artemis said, stepping so close to me, I had to bend my head up to look at him.

"Artemis, if I were you I would back the hell up." Peeta said. This didn't seem right. None of this was right. Why was Peeta acting this way towards his brother? Did he see what I saw in his eyes? Artemis moved back and August began to explain.

"Many years ago, my father was actually a capitol official, but he knew that what was happening in this country was not right. He knew that the myth was true, few officials did, but he was one. He knew he had to protect my mother and I so he managed to smuggle us on the hovercraft that was sending coal from your dear district over to Saol. That was over thirty years ago." My eyes bugged, the fact that we had been trading with them shocked me the most. "Peeta, your father had been warned before your second round of the Hunger Games that there was a possibility of an attack by my half sister, and your late stylist, Portia." Peetas, Haymitches and my own jaw dropped. That was the last name any of us had expected to hear. "She told your father that while she would not be able to smuggle you or your parents out, she would be able to get your brothers out, and I would return them when all was safe. Alas, here we are."

While I was happy Peeta had his brothers, part of me could help but be jealous. If only I had Prim. As if he knew what I was thinking, Peeta put his arm around my waist.

"This is a lot to take in right now guys. I don't even know what to say to it all." Peeta began

"I understand brother. It is kind of earth shattering isn't?" Leo laughed.

I examined Peetas face; it was obvious that this was taking its toll on him. I became nervous that the stress would send him into a hallucination. Without attracting too much attention I quickly whispered my question into his ear.

"Peeta, have you taken the tracker jacker antidote today?" His eyes instantly became wide as he shook his head. His fists clenched and I took off sprinting in the direction of his house. I ran into the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of pills before running back out to Peeta.

"Peeta? What is going on?" Leo asked, noticing the difference in his younger brother. I knew it was happening. I grabbed Peetas face and looked at his eyes to be certain. The darkness was spilling in like a smoke from a fire.

"Get off of me you filthy mutt." He growled at me, pure unadulterated hatred in his voice.

"I can't do that Peeta. You need to take this." Haymitch grabbed his arms and held them behind his back as I managed to slip the pill in between his lips and force him to swallow. It took s, a few minutes for the fog to clear from his eyes and for them to soften.

He grabbed me tight, like he was never going to let go. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry." I wasn't angry but I pulled away. I was scared. He couldn't forget to take the antidote to the venom. The doctors had specifically made them for him, as ordered by President Paylor herself to try and fight off these attacks. And for the most part it had been working.

I smacked him playfully on the chest. "Don't you ever forget to take your antidote again, do you hear me Mellark?" I hit him on the chest a few more times. Haymitch and Leo began to laugh intensely and I could tell that they would be good friends, Arianna soon followed. August had a slight grin on his face but Artemis was completely blank.

"Alright sweet heart, maybe you should go take lover boy inside to get some rest. I'll deliver the bread today." Both Peeta and I exchanged looks of fright. Haymitch simply scowled.

"Really with the way you two act you would think I couldn't wipe my own ass!" he raged.

"Didn't Effie have to do that once?" I asked Peeta.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was the same night we showered and tucked him in." he responded.

Haymitch growled and went inside to get dressed to deliver the bread and we parted from Peetas brothers, with at least a promise from Leo to see each other again soon.

I got Peeta back to his house and dragged him upstairs to his bedroom. I helped him lay down and went to sit down in the chair across the room, but he wouldn't let me, as I hoped he would, he pulled me down similar to how did to him last night and I giggled like a little girl. Peeta laid his head down on my chest and I stroked his hair.

Peeta began to speak after a few moments. "Katniss, as glad as I am to have my brothers back, something isn't right with Artie, he almost seems-"

"Hijacked." I said along with him. Peeta sighed.

"Do you think it's possible Kat?" he asked me. I honestly didn't know, but it didn't seem logical. But then again, there were many things that occurred during the war that I would never expected to have happened. _Like Gale killing Prim._

"I think it is just anger, perhaps resentment. How did Leo seem?" I asked, trying for a comparison.

Peeta chuckled. "Leo was purely and simply Leo, the same as ever, he didn't seem to fond of August though, not like Artie was, maybe he has something to do with his change in behaviour?" Peeta asked my opinion. This definitely seemed more logical.

"I think that's possible. I would wait and watch Leo around the Hills a little longer before asking him anything though, just to make sure. We also need to talk to Haymitch about all this; he seems a little more freaked than usual." I said the last part with a chuckle.

The moments dragged on before anything else was said. "Katniss, I need to ask you something."

"Anything."

"My mind is kind of fuzzy right now and I'm trying to remember if this one conversation was real or not…" he began. I nodded my head for him to continue. He looked at me and whispered "You love me. Real or not real?"

"Real." I understood why he was asking, he thought he was imagining, and hell, so did I. I didn't feel like this could be possible, that I had a chance at getting my Peeta back, but here I was, happy. A smile spread wide across his face as he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.

And then came the pleasant flame that started in my chest and spread through my limbs. Peeta pulled away, but I tangled my fingers in his hair and pulled his lips back to mine, slightly nibbling on his bottom lip. While I felt successful and pride in my confidence, it all shattered as Peeta began to chuckle and pull back once again.

"While I want nothing more than to kiss you for as long as you will allow me, I am very tired from my episode." He told me. I couldn't help but frown. He placed his lips at my ear before whispering the next part. "Not just that but I am afraid I wouldn't be able to stop myself from trying to get more from you. You really are too breath taking for your own good." He kissed the spot where my skull met my neck right under my ear and I shivered, and blushed profusely at his words and the action.

_My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am from District 12. I am in love with Peeta Mellark. And I am so screwed._


	4. Chapter 4: The Hanging Tree

A/N: Hey I know the last chapter might seem a little odd I know, but I really wanted to incorporate the world outside of Panem into this story and it is really going to be in it in the next chapter. SO I hope you enjoy,

Btw LEMON in this chapter. Don't like done read. ;]

Chapter 4: The Hanging Tree

The weeks since the return of the Mellark brothers passed quickly. Peeta and I had developed a new routine, he baked with Vick in the morning, while I hunted with Rory, they delivered the bread in the afternoon while we cleaned our kill, Peeta would make dinner for us and Haymitch, Leo would come over after dinner, we would watch Peeta paint while Leo and I joked and talked and Haymitch drank. On the nights that the nightmares got so horrible that we could hear the other scream from across the street, he would find his way to my bed to comfort me or I would find my way to his to comfort him.

Leo was a source of fun that I had never experienced before. He was rarely serious, he was carefree, and he always knew the right thing to say, it was difficult to keep a straight face around him. It only took a few days for me to feel like he was my own brother.

"Has Peeta ever told you about the time he stood up to our mother?" Leo began with a smile. My head popped up from the memory book where I was writing an entry about Finnick Odair.

"Leo, please, don't..." Peeta pleaded a warning tone in his voice.

"Oh come on, it is a great story!" Peeta put his paint brush down, and stared at his hands. Haymitch was looking between Leo and Peeta like he already knew what was coming while I stared, waiting to hear the story.

"So it was probably about seven or so years ago, I think I was about thirteen or so and dad was sick, mothers favorite Artie was off doing something or another, so it was just mother Peeta and myself in the bakery. Peeta had been staring out the window like he was ready to run away, he was just waiting for his opportunity. We were in the process of making breakfast loaves with nuts and raisins and he was barely paying attention the whole time, which was odd for Peeta, considering he is the only one out of the three of us who actually enjoyed baking. " Leo laughed. My smile wiped from my face, seven years ago, bread with raisins and nuts. I scooted to the edge of my seat and listened more intently.

"After we form the loaves and put them in, Peeta is just standing there, looking anxiety ridden, like he did something wrong. Now, Peeta may have seemed like an angel, but he had a tendency to get in trouble. He usually hid it very well, but this time he just couldn't. So mother told him to take the bread out of the oven because she had to take care of something outside, all I know is that I heard her yelling at someone to get away. She came back in and watched as Peeta dropped two loaves of bread in the fires of the oven with a smirk on his face." Leo started laughing, and I couldn't help but smile, myself. I wish I had heard this story of an eleven year old Peetas plan to save and eleven year old me seven years ago.

"Mother runs up to him and starts smacking him over and over again, anywhere she can reach, and he just took it. She told him to grab the bread and go throw it to the pigs. When he came back in she had a spatula in her hand and you know that when she had a spatula in her hand, you ran. She had never actually gotten any of us with it, we were always too fast for her. But this day, Peeta took the beating." Leo puffed his chest out in pride of his little brother. My eyes started to water as I my head popped up and I looked at Peeta, who I now realized was staring at me, watching my reactions to the other side of the story. He had always known mine, how the boy with the bread had saved the starving Seam girl who had collapsed under the apple tree; but he had never told me his.

"I tried to get him to run, I tried to get her to stop, but in a way I guess it was kind of his way of defiance, the only one brave enough to do it. And still to this day he refuses to tell me why he did it. He told dad, but dad wouldn't tell me, and trust me, I tried." Leo laughed and looked at his little brother.

"Can I tell him?" I suddenly blurted out. Peetas eyes widened in shock, he obviously hadn't been expecting me to say anything. But at that moment I had to much pride in him to not allow the entire world to know how brave he was for a person he barely even knew. Leo looked at me, utterly confused. Peeta simply nodded.

"_You _know what happened? I can't believe I just wasted all that time telling you that story!" He muttered.

"I didn't know that part of the story Leo, and if you didn't tell me, I probably never would." I looked at Peeta who was once again closely examining his fingernails. "The person your mother was yelling at, the reason your brother dropped the bread in the fire… was me." I said simply. Leo looked at me, more confused than ever. It took a minute for it to sink in. "I was close to death, my family had been starving and anything we did get I had been giving to my mother and my little sister. I hadn't eaten in so long, and I was on the verge of death, your brother fed me." Peeta sat up straight, looking Leo in the eye.

Leo took a minute before responding. His face was serious as he held eye contact with Peeta. "I'm even more proud of him now that I know why he did it." I grinned.

It wasn't long after that before Leo and Haymitch left. Peeta left his painting and came to sit next to me on the couch.

"Are you upset about something?" he asked me. I turned my head to see his eyebrows furrowed and the look of concern shown in his face.

I smiled at him. "Peeta I am the furthest thing from upset, why would you think that?" he raised an eyebrow at me.

"In case you didn't realize it, you were singing '_The Hanging Tree'"_ I, in fact, had not realized. But for me this wasn't quite a song of sadness but a song of memories. A song for my father, and a song of toddler Prim, and a song of my mother chastising my father (who made me giggle with making an "Oops" face whenever she did so, she could never say mad at him long.) I smiled at him. "Sing it again?" he asked me. He laid his head down in my lap.

"_Are you, are you _

_ Coming to the tree_

_ Where they strung up a man they say murdered three_

_ Strange things did happen here_

_ No stranger would it be_

_ If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

_ Are you, are you _

_ Coming to the Tree_

_ Where the dead man called out for his love to flee_

_ Strange things did happen here_

_ No stranger would it be_

_ If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

_ Are you, are you_

_ Coming to the tree_

_ Where I told you to run so we'd both be free_

_ Strange things did happen here_

_ No stranger would it be_

_ If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

_ Are you, are you_

_ Coming to the tree_

_ Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me_

_ Strange things did happen here_

_ No stranger would it be_

_ If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree"_

By the time I had finished the song, I was almost whispering. The hand which had been stroking Peetas soft blond hair was now twisted into its curls. Neither of us had spoken those three little words in the weeks since his brothers first showed up in Victors Village. I wanted to say them now, but a part of me wanted to wait for him to say them again first. His episode where he called me a mutt showed me that those thoughts stilled lingered, and that I did need to be careful. But I found it so hard to care.

"Will you stay?" it wasn't the three word phrase I was looking for, but it was one I was hoping for. He was finally comfortable enough to cut to the chase, to try and avoid nightmares all together.

I smirked. "Always." I mimicked. He stood up and held out his hand for me to take.

"You can borrow whatever you would like to sleep in." He told me motioning to the dresser in the corner of his bedroom. I walked over and took out one of his t-shirts. It was short sleeved and black v-neck. Something I remember commenting to Portia about how he looks good in v-neck shirts. I slipped off my blouse and jeans and put on the t-shirt while Peeta was in the bathroom. I folded up my belongings and put them on the arm chair on the other side of the bedroom. He came out in only a pair of baggy sweatpants and stopped dead in his tracks. He lets his eyes roam my figure from the tip of my head to the smallest of my toes.

"Should I put on a pair of pants or something?" I asked, suddenly very conscious.

"I beg that you don't." I heard him whisper. I laughed and climbed in to my side of the bed. Peeta put his arms around me and squeezed, but I wasn't ready for sleep.

I rolled my body on top of his and firmly planted my knees on either side of his hip, my hands finding their spot on the pillow next to his ears. I brought my face close to his and let the energetic spark bounce between our lips, building up more intensity as I lingered there. I gave a slight wiggle of my hips and he growled out in frustration.

"Katniss, what are you doing to me?" he asked. He placed his hands firmly finding their own spot on my hips and lower back, right under his shirt I was wearing. He began to use his finger tips to softly make shapes with a feather touch on my olive skin. It was my turn to growl. I again teasingly wiggled my hips and this time I felt something pressed against the inside of my thigh. With the idea of what it was in my hormonal teenage head, I couldn't help but have my own bodily reaction to it. He was hard, I was wet, and I was not letting him stop things tonight.

I finally allowed for our lips to touch which sprung Peeta into motion. He flipped us so that he was on top of me and allowed his hand to trail up my body under my shirt. My heart was racing and I wanted him to finally reach his destination. When he did I moaned into his mouth as he pulled down the cup of my bra and he cupped my breast. As he pinched my right nipple and ground his hard clothed center into my own hot clothed center, I moaned and pulled my lips from his in order to attack his neck with kisses.

Peeta continued his assault on my tits as we kissed yet he refused to remove my shirt or go any lower, but I needed more, much more. I began to play with the waist of his pants when Peeta pulled back.

"I don't want to rush this Katniss. I want to do things right, I want to do everything right by you." He said breathlessly. I simply smiled. I knew he wanted all of that, but from what I could tell he needed me as much as I needed him. _More than he wanted to do right by me_. I held eye contact with him as I slipped my hand into his boxers. He groaned out my name.

Having never had a sexual experience before, I was very confused on what to do, but I knew what I wanted. I knew I wanted to see him, so first I flipped us again and pulled his pants lower. I looked between Peetas eyes, and his dick in my hand for some sort of voice saying "Good job, keep it up Everdeen!" and in a way, I was getting that. Next I knew that I wanted to feel every inch of Peetas shaft and balls. I lightly ran my thumb across the tip and both his entire body and his penis twitched at my touch. I slowly began to run my hand up and down the long length and I lightly squeezed its fair sized girth, all the while contemplating how this will one day fit into me. I began to flush at the thought as a small wet pounding began in between my legs. I could feel him getting harder and harder when a small amount of pre-cum came out of the tip. Before I realized what I was doing, I licked the tip. I heard Peeta gasp an '_Oh Fuck'_ from above me but I wasn't paying attention. My pace quickened and moments later he was yelling my name in ecstasy.

I grabbed a tissue from the table to quickly wipe my hands. When I returned from throwing it away Peeta was lying on his side smirking.

"Well I hope you don't think we're done here Ms. Mockingjay." He said. I approached cautiously. I wasn't sure why but I was suddenly nervous. Peeta stood in front of me, now completely nude and took my face in his hands. He kissed me and removed my shirt and underwear gently before picking me up bridal style and laying me on the bed. I had never felt so revealed, but the fact that it was for Peeta, made everything seem comfortable.

Peeta begins to kiss down my body, paying attention to each breast equally. His hand traces up my thigh and begins to move closer to my center. One finger touches my clit and I gasp.

"Do you like that?" He asks me. I nodded, showing him I want more. He begins to rub the bundle of nerves more, alternating between fast and slow and soft and rough.

"Fuck it, Peeta I lov-"I wanted to say it just one more time before he pleasured me like this, so he didn't think that this is why I loved him. But I didn't get the chance.

"Oh, Jesus Fucking Christ! My eyes! My eyes! I cannot un-see this ungodliness!" Haymitch was screaming from the door of Peetas bedroom.

"Haymitch get the fuck out you perv!" Peeta screamed at him, while trying to cover me as best he could.

"No can do lover boy, President Paylor is on her way, and it is all thanks to one Artemis Mellark."


	5. Chapter 5: Your Love

_A/N: So I haven't written in quite a long time have I? If there is anybody who is still reading this, sorry! Things have been so crazy, I have a lot of medical problems and they have been kind of giving my creativity a punch in the gut….and back and neck and entire body in my case hahaha. _

_Anyway I really want to thank everyone who has added my story to their favorites and alerts, and me to their favorite authors and alerts as well. _

_I would also especially like to thank those who have taken the time to make my day and review, double especially Sarasmiles; who reviews, added me to her alerts, and her favorite authors and stories. Thank you very much!_

* * *

Chapter 5: Your Love (The Dirty Heads)

_ This was definitely not how I imagined my night going. _I thought to myself as I stood in the study of the Hill's home. Peeta paced in front of his eldest brother Artemis who sat in a large arm chair with his hands folded.

"You are trying to tell me, that you broke the oath of silence you swore to uphold when you came back here?" Peeta asked almost too calmly. Artemis simply nodded. "Why?"

"So they would have to send us both back. We had special permission to tell you three, but that was all, mainly because it was necessary, but no one else was supposed to know about Saol." Artemis explained. It took me another moment to realize there was another person in the room, sitting far back in the corner. She wasn't extremely attractive, but her eyes were like a green meadow you could get lost in and not care if you ever found your way out. Her lips were thin and her complexion was pale, she was obviously not from the Seam. I tried to think back to all of the merchants and their families but none of them popped out in my memory as having a daughter such as this.

"So your plan is to what, try and out the secret Utopia that has no problem wiping us off the map if too many people find out about it so you can run off and live happily ever after?" I asked snidely. Artemis sneered at me as he answered my question.

"I didn't want to go in the first place, but when I got there, I fell in love with it. It was hard not to. I was hoping that you and my brother would fail so that I wouldn't have to come back to this hell on Earth we call home, but unfortunately Madam Mockingjay," he said with disgust "you succeeded. I could have stayed, but I left something here that I could never live without. I wasn't given the choice to stay, and they weren't given the choice to come with me." He motioned for the girl to come over. As I got a closer look at her, I noticed she wasn't as pale as I once thought. She was seam after all. A seam girl I knew. I also knew the little girl who was holding her hand.

"This is my fiancée and daughter, Phylys Sae and Alika Sae Mellark." My jaw dropped. _Artemis Mellark_ was the mystery father of Greasy Saes granddaughter? I looked at Haymitch who seemed to have the same expression on his face. Peeta on the other hand, was straight flabbergasted.

"So how exactly are you planning on getting back Saol anyway, especially without Greasy Sae knowing? And how did Paylor find out?" Haymitch asked

"My mother wants what is best for Alika and myself, she understands." Phylys said gently.

"As far as Paylor, I may have sent a false trail making it seem like many people knew about it when they didn't. We just need her to see reason. Considering he did break the law she has two options." August Hill began. "Death or banishment to Saol are those options. Hopefully when she see's why he broke the oath she will choose banishment."

Peeta, now having successfully burned a hole into the floor sat in the large brown armchair with his hands rubbing his face. I started to worry he was going to rub his grafts right off, so I sat on the arm and took his right hand into my own. He looked up at me; a mixture of fear and what I believed was anger in his eyes. I smiled softly and rubbed my thumb against his.

"Everdeen, as much as it pains me to say this, I need your help." Artemis sneered. My eyes snapped from Peeta to his brother.

"Woah now, I don't see how I can help you! I'm not claiming to be a no body… but this is far out of both my and Peetas league here." I said with confidence, and some guilt. I may have a certain amount of hatred for Artemis Mellark, the man who reminded me so much of Peetas mother, but I had a certain amount of love for all of the Saes of District 12.

"You're right sweetheart, but so is he," Haymitch began. His eyes were glazed over deep in thought and I could tell he was working something out in his head.

"And how, pray tell, is he right?" Peeta asked. I could tell by his tone that Peeta wanted nothing to do with this, and he wanted me to have even less so.

"Paylor loves you Katniss. The amount of respect that she has for you is unbelievable. She would take anything you said into serious account. Hell I'm surprised your birthday wasn't a national holiday." Haymitch responded. Peeta stood to begin pacing again but I grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back down. I moved from the arm of the chair to Peetas lap. I knew if he kept pacing his prosthetic would begin to irritate him, plus I wanted and excuse to be close to him again. Peeta looked up at me and grinned. From the corner I heard Haymitch muttering something along the lines of "my poor eyes."

"So what exactly do you want me to do Artemis?" Every fiber in my being wanted sneer his last name at him, but I couldn't. The name Mellark was becoming too important to me. The little voice in my head was whispering s variation of names in my mind that were both pleasing and scary.

"Just try and convince her that sending them back is the right thing to do." August said. I looked at the eyes around the room. I would do anything for Phylys and Alika, simply because they were Greasy Saes family, I may dislike Artemis, but I would do anything for Peeta. My eyes turned to Haymitch, who gave me a slight jerk of his head to show his approval before he walked out of the house and to his own, showing that this meeting was officially over. My eyes finally made their way to Peetas.

"I'll do whatever it is that you want me to do, because whatever it is I do in this situation it is for you." I whispered into his ear. He looked at me, the struggle evident, before nodding his head in agreement. He loved me, but he knew I could save his brother and his niece. I stood and approached Phylys.

She couldn't bring her eyes to meet mine; it was like she knew what I was going to say before I did. "Before President Paylor arrives, before I even say I agree, she needs to be completely clued in. Your mother loves Alika more than anything, and she doesn't deserve to find out by finding you both gone in the morning." I took a step closer, making sure the message hit home. "If you don't tell her, I will." Phylys' eyes popped up to look into my own now. She knew I wasn't kidding. I bent down to kiss Alika on top of the head who in turn hugged me around the legs.

I stepped back and Peeta took me by the hand and led me out of the door and back to his house. We walked up the stairs to his bedroom where I froze to stare at the bed. I had stopped dead in my tracks as soon as I walked in and Peeta had bumped into my back with an "oomph." I felt the hot blush creep up my neck into my cheeks as he embraced me from behind.

"That was definitely not the way I saw tonight…finishing." He whispered huskily into my ear as he tightened his grip on my waist. I couldn't help but chuckle at his horrible innuendo.

"Well you already finished didn't you? I had the horrible experience of Haymitch walking in on us as I was just starting." I replied. I felt as he shuddered.

"Yeah I don't think he will be walking into our room like that again anytime soon." He chuckled, placing a kiss on my neck. I spun in his arms and witnessed the look on his face as he realized what he said.

"Our room?"

"You know what I meant, like either of our rooms, you know… just in case." He tried to play it off.

I laughed and put my arms around his neck as he began to back me up against the bed. "I know what you meant, just wanted to freak you out a bit." I told him. He growled and began to attack my neck with kisses, leaving where we had left off earlier in the night. Suddenly though he pulled away.

"This could be our room though, if you wanted it to be." He whispered against my lips. I looked into his blue orbs so close to my own.

"I haven't slept a night without you." I admitted to him. I kissed him soundly before he pulled away once more.

"Is that a yes?" He asked with a smile. I smiled and nodded before he pushed his mouth against my own. He pulled me back off the bed and picked me up, spinning me around in the air. An unfamiliar girly giggle escaped my lips as I wrapped my legs around his hips, hoping that my weight wouldn't hurt his bad leg. He pushed me against the wall and kissed me with all of the force and passion he possessed and I returned it willingly.

"I love you, Everdeen." He said once he finally pulled away.

"I love you too, Mellark." There was no hint of a sneer in my voice.

He pressed his lips back to my own and pressed his body harder into my own as his hands slipped down from my back onto my ass. Like it was gasoline being thrown onto the fire in my stomach I gripped onto his hair and he brought me back to the bed and lay down on top of me. There was no taking things slow this time, we were rushed, the pure happiness of moving forward, and moving in, over us.

It wasn't long before we were only in our underwear. I went to remove his boxers but he stopped me, a smirk gracing his handsome face.

"No, you've had your fun, it's my turn now." I smiled as he kissed down my body removing my bra and underwear as he went. He sucked my nipple into his mouth and I gasped. It was at the same time he placed his fingers on the bundle of nerves between my legs. He began to rub slowly as my hips bucked up.

"More, please, more." I began to beg. His lips were now on my neck as he slipped a lonely finger into me. I moaned loudly as he let out a gasp of his own. He pulled back and looked into my eyes as he began to wiggle his finger, moving it in and out. My stomach was becoming tighter, my body was begging for more, and he could tell as he roughly places another finger deep into me and I groaned in pleasure. He began to move his fingers faster and faster until the wall of muscles began to contract around him. I moaned out his name and grabbed his head pulling his forehead against mine, wanting to look him in the eye as I came.

My muscles relaxed and Peeta lay half on top of my, his fingers still inside of me, his forehead pressed lightly against mine. The first words that pop into my head are blurted from my mouth.

"Thank you." I whisper. He looks as me with a smile.

He simple smiled and lightly shook his head. "No thank you, I still don't think you know the effect you have."

* * *

I woke up to a slight chill, but the cold wasn't what woke me up. What woke me up was the yelling I heard downstairs. Once I realized it was just Haymitch and Peeta, I figured it wasn't worth my time to get up so I pulled the blanket around my naked body and simply eavesdropped.

"Peeta, you are taking things too fast for her. She might have changed, but she is still the same pain in the ass whose neck I am not allowed to ring!" Haymitch yelled at Peeta. I instantly knew that they were fighting about me and began to pay better attention. I sat up and found my underwear and jeans, and the shirt I borrowed from Peeta the night before. I wanted to get a better listen.

"I wouldn't love her if she wasn't a pain in the ass Haymitch! But she has changed." I heard Peeta respond. While part of me wanted to smack him for calling me a pain in the ass, I appreciated and understood it at the same time.

"You didn't see what she was like when you were in the Capitol Peeta. While she wouldn't admit it, we all knew then and there. While it is no secret that you're my favorite, if you hurt her, it will be your neck I am ringing!" I walked downstairs now, unable to listen to anymore of Haymitchs odd attempt at caring.

"You will not be ringing anybodies neck Haymitch." I said sitting down across from him. Peeta placed a plate of eggs toast and bacon in front of me along with a cup of tea with mint and I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. I turned to Haymitch and gave him a dirty look, ripping a bite off of a piece of bacon, threateningly. Haymitch took a vicious bite of egg in return. Neither of us took our eyes off of each other until Peeta burst out laughing. We turned to look at him, to see him gripping his stomach.

"You two are ridiculous!" he laughed even harder as he sat down. He looked at us and mocked our eating and Haymitch and I began to laugh ourselves, all traces of their fight from earlier gone.

* * *

A/N 2: Well there it is, again sorry it took so long.

I'll try to get the chapter of Paylor in District 12 up by Wednesday [I would do it tomorrow but my favorite band's new album is coming out and my best friend and I are making a day of it. (_The Dirty Heads_: _Cabin By the Sea_ you should all listen! The song from this chapter is off this album, there will probably be many more DH chapters)]

All reviews and opinions are welcome =]


	6. Chapter 6: Girl on Fire

A/N: I know I said I would probably post on Wednesday, but it looks like I got done two chapters in one day. So here you go!

Chapter 6: Girl on Fire [Rob Zombie]

We decided that it would be best for Peeta, Haymitch and myself to be the only ones to greet Paylor at the train station, and officially introduce her to the rest of the Mellarks back in the Village. None of us had expected the great gift and the horrible punishment that she was bringing with her though.

Paylor stepped off of the platform and, very much out of character, Haymitch greeted her with a hug.

"President Paylor, nice to see you again, very sorry it is under such conditions." Haymitch told her.

"You know none of you have to be so formal with me, we have been through enough together." She said to him. "Actually I have a present for you guys; actually they wouldn't let me leave the Capitol without them." My eyes searched her face; the confusion must have been obvious on my face. It was suddenly clear once I heard the coughing from behind Paylor.

"Heck, if I knew it was so damn dusty here I wouldn't have come!" Johanna Mason said from the platform. I looked up at her and smiled. We had a rough and rocky relationship, but the last few months were something I wouldn't trade for anything. She smiled and walked straight into my arms, I hadn't even seen who was next to her until I heard the deep voice and Peetas grip on my shoulder.

"Hey Catnip." He said quietly.

"Gale." I responded simply. Johanna smiled sadly at me and took my hand in her own. It was obvious the war had changed both of us, toughing and softening us both at the same time. It wasn't lost on him that I was ignoring him.

We began to walk towards Victors Village and I watched as Paylor said hello to the people of the district, something I could never see Snow or Coin doing. I had never been happier with my choice than I was at that moment. Haymitch stood protectively, and surprisingly more sober than usual next to Paylor while Gale and Peeta walked next to each other behind them. I wasn't close enough to them to hear the words coming from Gale's mouth, but it almost looked as if he was pleading with Peeta.

"So tell me, have the odds been in that boys favor?" Johanna asked me with a wink. I rolled my eyes and she burst out laughing, causing some curious looks from the two boys in front of us. "Sorry I'm trying to get the Girl on Fire to kiss and tell!" She said to Peeta and Gale doing her best impression of Ceaser Flickerman. It caused Peeta and I to laugh along with her, while Gale didn't quite find as much humor in it that we did. Those interviews were the only thing you could find humor in with the Games though, Ceaser especially, Gale just couldn't understand that. While he had been through a lot, the Games were one thing he would never get.

"I'm sorry Johanna, but somethings are just not for Panem to find out." I said with a dramatic wink. This caused another wave of laughter from the three of us. Even Paylor and Haymitch turned back to look with a small chuckle.

The boys turned around and Gale continued to talk under his breath. Peetas expression never wavered. Johanna now switched gears.

"What about Gale are the odds in his favor?" she asked in all seriousness. I looked at the woman whose arm was linked with my own.

"I can't answer that right now Johanna. It is his fault." She nodded her understanding. No one their right mind would try to fight me on this, anyone who knew me; no, all of Panem knew how important Prim was to me. They knew the moment I took her place. And I would take her place again that _his _bombs were dropped if I could. I said this to Johanna who stopped in her tracks. I looked at her stern face. She grabbed my chin and turned it to look at Peetas back.

"You see that boy. He loves you, I am still trying to figure out why, but he does." She made me look at her now. "I don't want to hear you say that again. If I do, I'll smack you." I gave her a weak smile and we continued out walk back to Victors Village. I showed Johanna to my house where she would be staying and she assured me that she knew where everything was and I should go along with the rest to the Hill home. I was quickly stopped by Gale.

"Uh Catnip, my family doesn't know I'm here, and I would really rather not put so much of a burden on them. Would it be okay if I stayed with you as well?" He asked hopefully.

"You can stay over with Johanna its fine. I'm actually not living there anymore anyway."He looked at me confused. "Peeta asked me to move in with him, few days ago actually so you guys will more or less have the place to yourself." I allowed myself to stay there as I watched my words sink in for him. I know I was being cruel, but I didn't care.

"Oh, well, thank you." He told me, picking up his bag and walking into his house.

"You are one cruel bitch." I heard Haymitch say from behind me. I turned on my heel.

"Well he killed my sister." I said simply. Haymitch simply nodded.

"Fair enough." He agreed. "Let's go." He led me over to the Hills house where Paylor and Peeta were already standing out front on the lawn. I took Peetas hand as Haymitch led the President inside.

Standing there were the Hills, Artemis, the three Saes, and Leo. Greasy was holding Alika, and I had never seen her look so protective and nervous. I passed the short distance between our company and theirs in order to show her that this was not a trial, that there was no one against her. She looked at me and smiled, some of the tension leaving her body.

"Madam President, what an honor it is to meet your acquaintance!" August began with a low bow. Haymitch, Peeta and I all snorted at the same time, and I could tell it took everything in Paylor not to join us. Having seen Paylor in action, seeing someone bow to her and calling her "madam president" was an odd experience.

"Yes, er, Madam President," Peeta mocked, Paylor threw him a warning glare. "I would like you to meet Mr. August Hill, Mrs. Adrianna Hill, my brothers Leo and Artemis, his fiancé Phylys Sae, their daughter Alikia and Phylys mother Greasy Sae." Peeta said in a breath full. Paylor nodded to each of them.

"I want you to know that while you broke the law; a quite seriously may I add, it is very nice to meet you." Peeta showed Paylor to an arm chair, and everyone sat down after her. "Listen I don't want any of you to worry. Why the President of Saol would usually ask to have some sort of say in this situation, you are very lucky that you are young Mr. Mellarks brother here." Paylor said directly to Artemis.

"Oh Madam President thank you, so much we-"August began. Paylor put a hand up to stop him.

"You really need to shut up."She told him. Haymitch started bursting out laughing as he took a swig from the flask in his jacket pocket. "I would do anything in my power to make these two happy, and if something like this is what will make them happy, then consider it done. There are some things that you need to understand though. Once you are gone there will no longer be any, repeat any contact with anybody in the nation of Panem. While I have no problem with our nation knowing about Saol, they are not as opened to the idea of people ruining their carefully made perfection." She said the last part with some bitterness.

"That is completely understood President Paylor." Artemis said respectfully. It was the first time he had spoken. Greasy sniffed a bit and I squeezed her hand. Alika climbed into her lap and hugged her neck.

"You seem to be rather close with Mrs. Sae, Mockingjay." Paylor said, finally taking notice to my hand in Greasys. I smiled.

"Greasy and Alika came by and made me eat twice a day for months after the war. She is probably the only reason I am here right now." That simple sentence locked it.

"Well then I know I have made the right decision. Now Leo," she turned her attention to the other Mellark who to this point had been ignored. He had seemed as shocked as the rest of us to have the attention brought to him. "Would you like the choice to go back to Saol?" Leo looked from one brother, to the other before making his decision.

"I would like to stay here in Panem ma'am." Leo told Paylor. "I think there are a few people I have to keep an eye on here, make sure they don't get in too much trouble." He said, giving me a small wink. Paylor nodded at him.

"Okay then to the rest of you. Mister and Misses Hill, Artemis and Phylys; you will have three days to pack your belongings and say all of your goodbyes while I am here taking care of some business." When she said taking care of some business I knew that she really meant a pseudo-vacation consisting of drinking with her buddy Haymitch Abernathy in a very un-president like fashion. Paylor looked at her watch and stood. Everybody stood after her.

"Sorry to rush but I have a dinner to get to with the team in charge of rebuilding, as do Katniss, Peeta and their mentor." She informed us, obviously telling us that we shouldn't be too much longer here. While our job in the war may be over, we would still always have appearances to make, even here in our own home District where we were nobodies. She shook Artemis and Phylys' hand, and ignored the Hills completely. Even Greasy had a difficult time holding back a chuckle at that. Paylor left the house, Haymitch at her heels. If I hadn't known better I would have thought Haymitch had a school boy crush. But I did know better.

"I guess I got lucky my brother fell for a law breaking Seam girl huh?" I could practically feel the daggers Greasys eyes were shooting at Artemis as he spoke.

"Don't speak to her that way Artie." Leo said before Peeta even got the chance to open his mouth. I simply turned and left the house without a further word. I would have my time to speak with Artemis in the upcoming days, but this wasn't it, especially in front of his brothers. I walked to my and Peetas home and saw Gale sitting on the porch swing. He watched me as I approached. I didn't look at him as I walked into the house and closed the door.

"Good-bye everyone, I will see you tomorrow. Thom it was very nice to meet you." Paylor said after dinner. She was shaking Thoms hand as he exited the house. As we all began to leave, except for Haymitch I noticed, Paylor put her hand on my shoulder to stop me "Katniss, there is one more present I have for you if you will stop by tomorrow afternoon. Something very special I think you would like to have." I nodded and said goodnight as I left with Peeta, Johanna and Gale.

"That Greasy woman sure can cook!" Johanna said with a hand on her stomach as we walked down the street towards the houses we were occupying.

"That was venison; you should see what she can do with a wild dog." Gale said. I saw his eyes flicker to me, but I didn't say anything to him. We reached the two houses that were across from one another and began to part ways. Johanna ran inside, already kicking off her shoes. Peeta and I climbed the steps to our house, and then I heard him yelling.

"So this is how it's going to be huh? It's my fault she's dead, my design, so we aren't friends anymore. All those years are gone? Huh _Miss Mockingjay?_ Or I'm sorry is it Mrs. Mellark now?" He screamed with conviction. I stopped in my tracks. I could feel the fire burning in my eyes and in my body, but this time was for a different reason; this was no pleasure that I was feeling. This was rage building up in me that was about to blow. Peeta saw this and began to back away so he didn't get into the house and closed the on the porch swing. He watched me as I approached. I didn' upcoming days, but

"Oh so is that how we're playing this Gale?" I asked, not yet turning around to look at him.

"Yeah, _that_ is how we're playing this." He sneered. And it was suddenly as if I was a Mockingjay, flying down the steps over to the man who was once my best friend, and beating the living shit out of him. I let my fists fall where they may, his stomach, his chest, his face, anywhere they reached. I punched hard and I screamed fury. I could feel the burn and the sting that my fists left, and it was satisfying. He didn't fight, he didn't try to stop me.

"You killed her! You took her from me! How could you do that to me?" I yelled at the top of my lungs, my throat now raw. I could feel arms trying to restrain me, but I didn't care, the fire in me was hot and the only way to extinguish it was to let out the emotion.

As Peeta grabbed my arms I lifted up my lower body and began to kick Gale with all the force I could. He fell to the ground and I began to kick harder and harder. He didn't fight me, or try to stop me. He just took it. Suddenly my lower half was restrained as well.

"Sweetheart, calm the fuck down!" I heard Haymitch yell over stop of glass shattering screams. My throat was hurting but I didn't care.

"You did this! It is your entire fault!" My screaming stopped abruptly as I looked down at Gale who was crying on the ground. I stopped struggling against Peeta and Haymitch. They let me go, knowing that I wouldn't hurt him anymore. I dropped to my knees next to his head. I placed my hand on his cheek and wiped away a stray tear. "You did this." I managed to say through my sore throat.

Gale looked up at me; he put a hand on mine and looked me straight in the eye. "Thank you." He sat up and embraced me tightly.

I didn't remember going to bed that night. I didn't remember waking up screaming Prims name to have Peeta stroke my hair and convince me it was okay. What I do remember is waking up, but not to the smell of bread like I usually do. I looked out the window and down to the front yard where Peeta was planting Primroses that lined the entirety of our house. I closed my eyes and took a breath and smelled the sweet fragrance of my sisters name sake.

When I opened them, I found the bruised Gale next to him, just as dirty as Peeta. They had obviously been gardening all morning. I watched on as they laughed together, and looked up towards the window where I stood. They saw me and smiled.

Things were beginning to look good.


	7. Chapter 7: Mongo Push

_A/N: Hello there! I just wanted to respond to a review here real quick before the next chapter._

_First of all, thank you for the wonderful comment on my writing, I am an English-Writing major going into my junior year in college right now and while this may not be some of my best work, thank you very much, that made me day!_

_Second, my story isn't close to done. I know it may have seem like it went awfully fast and it may seem over, but having the Mellark brothers and the Hills move in was more so that I could get the character of _

_Leo in and less about Artemis facing his own stupidity. _

_This story is going to start focusing on Katniss and Peeta and how they can now afford to make mistakes and whatnots =D_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay or almost any of the characters in this story just some of the ideas. _

* * *

**::::To understand title:::[I am going to explain the title slightly before I even tell you what it is. For anyone who skateboards you should know what it is. Mongo Push is when you are skateboarding but you push the board with the foot that is supposed to be planted on the front of the board. Instead "mongo pushers" keep the back foot planted and they push with the front. The reason I am using this song title (besides I just got this album and love this band with a passion) is because there is a lyric "We're off on the wrong foot, we'll call it mongo push"…. You will understand when you read**.]

* * *

Chapter 7: Mongo Push [Dirty Heads feat. Rome]

I knocked on the door of Paylors house the afternoon of the Gale Peeta planting extravaganza. She answered promptly with a smile which showed she knew it was me, and motioned for me to follow her into the sitting room.

"Well Katniss, I have something I better you never thought you would see again." My mind started to think if she managed to bring Prim back to life and smuggle her into her luggage and hide her from me for the past twenty-four hours, but even I found that thought awfully ridiculous. I waited for her to continue. She went to her bag on the coffee table and pulled out a 'D' shaped case and placed it on the glass of the table.

I stared at the case, instantly knowing it was my Mockingjay bow created by Beetee.

"You aren't getting the bows that originally went with it, so it isn't more deadly than your average bow, but you are getting the matching suit Cinna designed." My eyes glazed over as they drifted from the case to her.

"Thank you, but are you sure? I know I caused a lot of trouble with this bow." I said the words before I even considered them. She let out a low chuckle.

"Yes. I am positive. You deserve this bow. Gale has his as well. I don't know where we would all be right now if you didn't have the balls to shoot Coin instead of Snow. Hell, I don't know where we would be if you didn't figure it out! I mean I had my suspicions, but no way to get the act done." She laughed awkwardly. As her laughter faded she picked up the case and put it in my arms, as well as a smaller box and my sheath.

Evidently it was time for me to go. I stood and walked out of the house, still a little hazy. The bow I intended to use, the suit I needed to find a nice safe storage place for however. As I was thinking of the many rooms and closets in my house, and how maybe the preserving lights in Peetas art studio might be the best room to store my Mockingjay suit in, I heard a voice calling to me from my right. I turned to see Artemis calling out to me from his seat on his porch.

"I'm sorry?" I said, indicating that I hadn't heard what was most likely a snide comment.

"You heard me, Everdeen." I snorted.

"No I really didn't, just got a bit of an awesome mind fuck of gift, sooooo…" I said like an asshole. I was in a good mood and even Artemis Mellark couldn't ruin it.

"I said you don't deserve my brother." He repeated. I could only smile.

"I know I don't." I told him honestly walking towards the porch steps. I climbed the steps and plopped down on the bench, shocking Artemis a bit. "Though luckily, your brother doesn't seem to care. And until he does, I'm not going anywhere." I told him, making sure to look him straight in the eye. He held my gaze, searching my eyes for something to show I was lying, that I would drop Peeta the minute something bad happen. He turned away from me, nodding his head.

"I was always under the impression you thought you were better than him. Now that I've had a front row seat to your interactions without gamemakers editing them as they please, I can honestly say I don't understand you." I said, shaking his head seriously.

"You don't understand me? What about you? You have a child with, and are marrying a Seam girl, yet you are the first to insult the people of the Seam? _I_ don't understand _you_!" I countered. He chuckled.

"I don't understand myself Katniss." He said. It was the first time he had called me by my first name. He turned to look back at me. "I can tell you that love can change a person, though sometimes prejudice is a hard habit to break. Peeta and Leo got lucky having mother dislike them so much." I looked at him funny, why would that be a good thing? "I had to spend the most time with mom, which meant I had to be on my best behaviour all the time, which meant agreeing with her, all of the time."He said pointedly. I suddenly began to understand. Perhaps these weren't quite his prejudices, but those of his crazy mother that had been forced upon him.

"I think I know what you mean, honestly." I told him quietly. He gave me a small smile, a small olive branch. "I'm not going anywhere Artemis; you can always count on me being here for him." I told him reassuringly. He nodded, and smiled again.

"You aren't too bad, Everdeen I almost wish we didn't get off on the wrong foot!" He said jokingly. I chuckled and stood up with my full arms.

"Woah now, don't get too far ahead of yourself! It is too bad we won't get to see each other for what the other really is though." I told him. I left his house and walked back to my own where I found Peeta lying with his eyes closed, exhausted on the leather couch.

"Have I told you I love you today?" I asked him, standing eerily over top of him. I watched as he opened his eyes and he looked at me with his glassy glazed eyes.

"So… tired!" He moaned out. I rolled my eyes and straddled his lap. His hands came up to rest on my hips and I bent down to press my face into his chest.

"Thank you." I muttered into his chest. I hadn't been sure he even heard me until he responded.

"Of course," he took a deep breath and I listened to the beating of his heart slow until he eventually fell asleep. I couldn't bring myself to move, and just lay on him like a blanket as he slept.

I thought about how this moment seemed perfect, how I wouldn't mind if this is how we spent the rest of our lives, just napping on the couch. But I jinxed myself. I should never have thought things could be peaceful for very long. After about a half hour is when I heard the door open and Haymitchs familiar ruckus.

I didn't bother moving, Peeta just seemed too peaceful, besides Haymitch would be the first tell you he had seen worse. I just waited for him to come and collapse in the arm chair across from us. He didn't disappoint.

"Damn you kids are like bunnies these days! Hun, he isn't even awake! You're tiring him out!" Haymitch joked, he gave me his trademark cocky smirk, the glare I gave him didn't help to wipe it off.

"He and Gale were up early planting Primroses around this house this morning, he's tired." I tried to explain. Haymitchs cocky grin changed to one that almost bore understanding and pride. "So what's going on?" I asked after another moment.

"I'm hungry; bread boy didn't bring me bread this morning." He slurred. I simply shook my head and moved to get off Peeta and the couch so I could make Haymitch something to eat, so he could go home and leave us alone. Peeta gripped onto me, but I managed to loosen his grip and cover him with the light throw blanket that was laying across the back of the couch. I walked into the kitchen and Haymitch turned on the television to Plutarch's new singing show that was re-running from the night before.

I pulled out frying pans and quickly fried him some bacon and eggs and placed them on a plate, and cut up a loaf of bread that remained from the day before. As I was pouring boiling water into a cup to make us tea I began to hear the unmistakable screams of Peeta from the couch. I ran into the living room where Haymitch was trying to shake him awake, screaming his name.

"Peeta, boy wake up!" He yelled at him, shaking him roughly.

I was the only one who knew that violently waking him up was never a good thing to do.

I pushed Haymitch off of him and began to hold his lashing body still and forcefully saying his name. His eyes eventually popped open, but it was too late, Haymitch had done enough damage.

"_Mutt,_" he sneered. His arm reached up to hit me but I was quicker. I grabbed his arms and forced them to his sides. Haymitch got the gist of the process and helped me hold him down so I could begin to talk him out of this. "_You killed my parents, you destroyed my home."_ It was the same speech, an act that had been drilled into his head that he was forced to repeat. At least that is what I liked to tell myself.

I grabbed his head and looked into the blackness that filled his eyes. "I am not a mutt Peeta. Come back to me, come on. None of this is real. Not real, Peeta. Come back." I whispered to him. I watched as he began to calm down, the tension in his body relaxing, the clear blue coming back into his eyes, his pupils becoming less dilated by the millisecond.

"Not real." He repeated. I nodded slowly. I motioned to Haymitch that it was okay to let go of him. "I'm sorry Katniss." He whispered before closing his eyes once more and drifting off to sleep. I pushed the sweaty bangs back from his forehead and watched him sleep for a moment.

"Your breakfast is on the counter Haymitch." I said finally looking up. It wasn't until that moment I saw the people standing in the room. Evidently this episode had been louder than some of the ones that had taken place in the middle of the night.

Haymitch stood above us, staring at me like I had just sprouted another head a tail and a pair of wings for even mentioning the food I had just made him. In the door way by the wide open front door stood Johanna, who perhaps understood best what Peeta had been through in the Capitol; Gale who had a slight expression as if he had been punched in the gut; Paylor, who for the first time I can remember looked rather frightened; a very sad Leo; and lastly Artemis. The only one I could truly pay attention to was Artemis. While I wished they would all butt out and mind their own business, in a way I was glad Artemis could witness this. Maybe he would see that Peeta wasn't just taking care of me, but I was taking care of him.

He nodded at me approvingly and began to usher everyone out of the house, saying this wasn't something that really needed to be made a spectacle of. I silently thanked him. Haymitch went to follow the rest out, but I stopped him.

"What is it sweetheart?"

"I was making you breakfast when this happened, you _better_ go eat it." I told him seriously. He gave me a very Haymitch-like burst of laughter and walked into the kitchen.

"Yes ma'am!"


	8. Chapter 8:Deer Dance

A/N: Thank you to everyone who is giving me such great reviews! I was surprised people were reading this to begin with, but knowing people like it has made it better.

Disclaimer: I am not awesome. I am not Suzanne Collins. I DO NOT OWN the Hunger Games.

* * *

Chapter 8: Deer Dance (System of a Down)

It had been a week since the departure of Artemis and the Hills from District 12 with President Paylor. Johanna had left with them to go back to District 7, but Gale had decided to stay some additional time to reconnect with his family.

It was exactly seven days after they left that I had been in for a real shock. Gale, Rory and Vick had arrived at our house before dawn to begin our daily routine of bake/hunt. They entered the house to find Peeta and I sitting in the kitchen drinking tea. I was already wearing my hunting boots and father's leather hunting jacket, my braid a little messier than usual. I turned to see the three Hawthorne's trumping through our house, but only one of them looked ready to hunt.

"Uh Gale, I really don't suggest you go out into the woods like that." I eyed him funny.

"Sorry Catnip, I thought I would stay here this morning, maybe learn to bake something," Both Peeta and I looked at him like he was crazy. Who was this person? "Only if it's okay with you, of course, Peeta."

Peeta was obviously caught off guard. "Yeah… that's fine. I'm sure the construction crew would appreciate it at lunch time." He tried to joke. I didn't blame Peeta for being slightly afraid of Gale's intentions. While they had that moment of friendship when Gale helped him plant the evening primroses, I couldn't see Gale being his best man at the wedding Effie Trinket would be planning for us. I shook my head, suddenly very scared at the fact that I allowed that thought to cross my mind. To try and forget it, I thought it would be a good idea to pull Gale into the other room.

"Ooooh somebody's in trouble!" I could hear Rory say in a sing-song voice from the other room. I suddenly realized I didn't want anyone to hear this conversation and dragged him out into the back yard where we were met with the already blistering heat of a summer morning.

"What's your angle?" I asked him, straight and to the point.

"I don't really have an angle. Unless were talking about that slight curve in my spine your mom found when we were kids." He tried to joke. I folded my arms across my chest and sternly looked at him.

"Just stop you crap and tell me what you are playing at!" I practically growled. I wasn't in the mood to play mediator today. All I wanted to do was go into the woods, shoot a few things and gather some of the fresh strawberries there were in the small patch. He stepped forward and put his hands on my shoulders. He bent a bit so he could look me in the eye and shook me lightly.

"Relax Catnip; I just want to bake a bit!" He said with a wink. I knew right there I had to try and let this go, I wasn't going to get an answer from him. We walked back in to find Vick already measuring our cups upon cups of flour while Peeta measured out the yeast.

"So what are we making today?" Gale asked. Vick went into an excited description as Peeta followed me to the front door where Rory was waiting.

He hugged me and whispered loudly into my ear. "I love you; know that in case he kills me." He said dramatically. I laughed and pushed him in the direction of the kitchen.

"I will see you later Peeta." I told him. "Keep an eye on them Vick!" I yelled, completely serious, but I just heard a couple chuckles, and watched as Peeta gave me a death glare. I grabbed my Mockingjay bow and sheath from the shelf by the door, Rory would be using my bow that was still hidden in a log in the woods.

Rory and I left and walked through the empty town and out of gate of the new fence along the tree line. Rory, who was a natural with snares but not quite a bow (just like his older brother) set up the traps and then quietly walked to the log to retrieve the weapon hidden inside.

We climbed a couple of the larger trees and watched out for mature creatures for dinner. We had only been sitting in the branches for a half an hour when I saw it. A large deer was picking the berries off of a bush about one hundred yards away. I made the hand motions to Rory to take notice, and made sure that he didn't make noise and scared him away. I wanted this deer. I couldn't remember the last time I had been lucky enough to shoot one, let alone spot one. But this was not my moment of glory. This kill was for Rory. I motioned for him to take the shot, and he nodded, I could tell that he wasn't completely confident, but was doing a good job of faking it.

He pulled back on the string and aimed, his hand lying stiff against his cheek. I watched as he released and the arrow shot perfectly into the eye of the creature. I felt pride in my student and climbed down from my high point as the deer fell to the forest floor. I ran to it with Rory close on my heels. The adrenaline began to take over at this point and I looked at Rory, who obviously knew what came next. Rory gave a curt nod of his head and stood up straighter. He pulled out a knife and I backed away from the suffering animal as Rory went to put the animal out of its misery.

* * *

Dinner that night was a big occasion. In addition to Peeta, Haymitch, Leo (who had now been forced to join us for meals) and I, the Hawthorne's all joined us in Victors Village for the closest thing to a feast any of us had seen in a long time.

We sat at a table in the back yard that would fit all of us and ate the deer steaks, fresh greens and roasted katniss that we had collected earlier in the day. For desert we ate a red cake that Peeta taught Vick and Gale to make that was decorated with a rich white frosting and lined with bright red wild strawberries that Peeta had requested we bring back before we had left. By the end of dinner everyone was so full Haymitch, for instance, didn't even want to drink. Buttercup even had no problem as Posy pulled on his ears after eating the large helping of entrails Peeta fed to him.

After everyone finally left and Peeta and I could finally go to bed, I collapsed hard onto the bed, my face falling straight into the pillows. I felt as there was a dip in the bed as Peeta fell next to me. I shifted so that my head was on his chest and he put his arms around me tightly, almost protectively and I heard a sigh leave his chest. I looked up at his face to see a worried expression on his features.

"What did he do?" I said, immediately knowing the source of Peetas worry. He gave me a light sad chuckle and kissed the top of my head.

"He said while he may not be happy with your choice, he knows he can't change your mind and he mind as well get to know me." I looked into Peetas eyes, a smile playing at my lips that the two most important men in my life could make peace. I could tell that he wasn't done yet. "Katniss I have to know, if circumstances were different, if Gales… invention, hadn't caused the…issues, that it had," I could tell he was trying to be very diplomatic about what he was saying, but even for the person who was so good with words, he was having a horrible time communicating at the moment. "What I am trying to say is, would you still have chosen me? Would you still be here with me…and not with Gale?" I could tell this wasn't something that had just started to bother him, but something that had been an issue with him for a while.

There were no words that could calm his mind, but those thoughts at ease. I couldn't say that there would be if I were in his position. I decided that he would have to settle for actions to convince him. I moved so that my eyes were at level with his. I said nothing and I didn't wait for him to say anything, I grabbed his face and pressed my lips against his. But he pushed me away.

"No! Stop, that isn't what I am looking for you to do right now!" he said forcefully.

"I know, but it is the only answer I have. Anything I say right now won't sound like the right thing. You are the one who is good with words." I moved back to my original position close to his lips. "But I am better with actions." I kissed him again, and this time he didn't push me away. Instead he grabbed my hips and flipped us so that he was lying on top of me.

His tongue pressed against my lips eagerly and I, equally as eager, allowed it access. His fingers played with the hem of my green tank to, the tips slowly grazing up my skin, pulling the fabric with it. While the touch of his fingers was light, the passion in his lips was not. There was a hunger in his kiss that needed to be fed, and I wanted nothing more than to satisfy that hunger.

As the butterflies fluttering in my stomach were set on fire my own passion was given even more heat of its own to match his. I broke from the kiss long enough to pull off his shirt, and he had the same idea as he pulled mine off as well, and we crushed our mouths back together. He kissed down my jaw, neck, collar bone until he reached my breasts. He unclasped my bra and continued his path of kisses downward. As he cupped my left breast and kissed my naval is when I finally made the decision.

"Peeta, I…I want you." I breathed. His mouth stopped moving and he looked up at me. He loved his body back up mine to look me in the eye. His eyes were dark, but not in the dangerous way that I had come to know and fear, but in a way that I want to know and love. "I'm not going to beg." I told him after he didn't speak. It took him less than a second to continue on his path of kisses down my body. He reached the waist of my pants and swiftly removed them with my underwear, leaving me in nothing.

He looked up at me as he pushed my knees apart and I gasped as he buried his head in between my legs. I gasped as his tongue flicked against my clit. My hands came up and grabbed onto his heads and I felt his hot breath against me as he moaned out. I laced my fingers through his hair and pulled him back up to me. I kissed him soundly and let my hands run down towards his pants. Once they were removed he finally spoke.

"There isn't going back after this for me. Are you sure?" I appreciated his honesty, but at that moment, I didn't want honesty I wanted him. In response I simply kissed him.

I knew what to expect as he lined his hips up with my own. I had expected the slight pain to last the entire time, but I didn't expect for it to go away and be replaced by an even more passionate burn.

Peetas body was pressed hard against mine, his head pressed against the crook of my neck, sitting completely still inside of me. I bucked my hips up against his, telling him to move, not wanting to speak and ruin the moment. He groaned loudly and began to slowly move his hips against mine.

As Peetas pace became faster, I thrust my hips hard to meet his trying to get more. He let out a growl, grabbed on to my hips and gave me what I wanted it. I moaned loudly which urged him on even more. I felt my muscles begin to the pleasant twitch and I moaned out his name loudly. Peeta reached his hand down to where our two bodies met and began to rub the sensitive bundle of nerves. This was my undoing in the best way possible. I yelled out as my body began to pound around him, my sharp nails leaving marks down Peetas newly healed skin. A moment later I felt Peetas release as he moaned out and collapsed on top of me.

He littered my collarbone with light kisses and I stroked his sweaty hair. He kissed his way up to my lips and then pulled back to look me in the eye. "I love you. So much." He whispered. I kissed him lightly again and he lay down next to me. He pulled me close, a huge smile on both of our faces, and pulled the blanket up around the both of us.

"I definitely think that was better than words." He said through his smile. I laughed in the pure happiness of that moment and allowed him to hold on to me even tighter, eventually falling into a blissful, dreamless sleep.

* * *

A/N: I know that scene was pretty crappy, I swear any in the future will be better.


	9. Chapter 9: The Hardest Button to Button

A/N: Sorry this chapter is going to be very short, but with the events taking place I don't want to put more in this chapter that would overshadow the events taking place. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am not this awesome; I do not own the Hunger Games.

* * *

Chapter 9: The Hardest Button to Button (The White Stripes)

Almost a month had passed since the night everyone else would remember as the night Rory shot his first deer, but I would always remember as the first time I willingly allowed myself into a vulnerable situation and came out of it more than victorious.

It was a rare morning where Gale and I went hunting on our own, Rory had decided to stay at home with little explanation today. For the first time since before the Quell Gale and I made our way to our meeting spot between the small shack my father would take me to and the meadow. Now it was more like the Graveyard by the House, but I pushed that thought into the back of my mind when I saw the green grass littered with dandelions growing back. I began to pick the dandelions, thinking I would bring them back to Peeta to put in a salad for that evening; but knowing him he would probably just put them in a glass and put them on the table. Gale and I sat on the large boulders and I pulled out a freshly baked cheese bun for each of us.

Gale took the bread from my hand and smiled. "I have to say, it's good being on…friendly terms with the town baker." He laughed ripping off a piece of the bread with his teeth. I smiled at the fact that he was trying so hard and took a bite of my own bread.

"Catnip, District 2 is trying to get me to come back." I stopped chewing and looked at him seriously, my stomach beginning to churn at the idea. "But the thing is, I don't think I want to go back, not yet at least. Maybe-maybe never." He told me. I gave him a smile liking what he was saying, but the gross feeling in my stomach hadn't gone away.

"Gale if you aren't ready to go back, then stay for a –"

I had never thought that I would vomit from something as delicious as a cheese bun, but then again, I never thought I would have volunteered for the Hunger Games. I did both.

I jumped off of the rock which I was sitting on and ran to the nearest tree, throwing up mainly stomach bile, some tea and the half of a cheese bun that I managed to eat before it all came back up.

"Katniss are you okay?" Gale yelled after me and ran behind me, grabbing my braid and keeping it behind me. After I was done ridding of my stomach contents I turned to give me a death glare that neither of us knew I possessed. "I'll take that as a no." he handed me a canteen of water to rinse my mouth, and made sure that I spit that water out instead of swallowing it.

"Are you feeling alright otherwise?" he asked me as he gathered our things to walk back into town. I took a moment to assess the rest of my body.

"Okay, just a little achy and the nausea." I told him. We walked back to Victors Village slowly and game-less.

I walked into my house and was instantly hit with the smell of freshly baked bread. Peeta walked out of the kitchen with a loaf, expecting to find Haymitch I suppose, but found us instead. His face screwed in confusion when he saw us. Gale went up to grab the bread from him.

"She got sick after eating half of one of your cheese buns this morning." Gale told him. Peeta looked at me, his face filled with guilt, like it was his fault.

I took a deep breath through my nose and I realized how good the bread smelled. "Is that a breakfast loaf?" I asked him suddenly. He nodded and went to put it down in the kitchen but I followed him in and sliced a piece and began to eat it.

"Katniss, you probably shouldn't be eating that." He told me. I just shook my head and finished eating the slice of bread.

"I'm fine now honestly." I told him. I then remembered the flowers in my game bag. I picked the bag up and pulled out one of the dandelions from it. I moved closer to him and he wrapped his arms around my waist. "They're growing everywhere in the valley. I picked a bunch." He smiled and took the yellow flower from me, sticking it in behind my ear. He kissed me on the forehead before leaning his against mine.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked me. I heard a chuckle from the door way and we both turned our heads to see a drunken Haymitch leaning his shoulder against the door way with a wide eyed Gale standing behind him.

"Does the fact that she is clearly pregnant make her okay? I don't know, does it sweetheart?" Haymitch asked with a belly laugh. I rolled my eyes until it hit me that it made more sense than not.

"Oh please Haymitch she isn't pregn- oh god, are you pregnant?" Peeta asked his eyes now wider than Gales.

Now that I thought about it, it made sense. I should have had my period almost two weeks ago. I walked out of the kitchen ignoring everyone's gaze and walked to the telephone that was hanging on the wall in the hallway. I picked it up and sat on the stool that we had set up for when Dr. A called for our phone appointments. I dialed a number I hadn't dialed in a while, but felt I would be dialing more often in the time coming.

"Hello?" I heard her voice say on the other line.

"Mom, I uh, it's me Katniss." I said.

"Katniss, honey, how are you? How's Peeta?" I could practically hear the smile on her face.

"He's great. Hey mom, how would you find out if you are pregnant?" The lines were silent for a good minute.

"Katniss, do you think you're pregnant?" she replied gently.

"Yes, I think so." Her response was simply to giggle.

"Oh Katniss this is wonderful! There isn't a hospital yet in District 12 so you should visit here in four so I can do the test. What are your symptoms?"

"Well I haven't menstruated for about five and half weeks, I was really nauseous this morning but after I threw up I was fine and held down some of a breakfast loaf; I'm kind of achy too." I told her. She attempted to hide her squeal but it didn't work so well.

"Oh honey, you need to get to District 4 as soon as possible." I took that as my answer. I was pregnant.

"Okay mom, I'll get on the train tomorrow." My mother told me how excited she was to see me and we hung up. I turned around and saw the three most important men in my life staring at me.

"Peeta, I don't know what to say." I practically whispered. He came up and wrapped his arms tightly around me.

"Are you sorry?" he asked me seriously. I thought about it for a minute before I realized that I wasn't. The thought of bring a mini-Peeta into the world made me genuinely happy.

"No, surprisingly, I'm really not." I said with a smile. He smiled back and gently kissed my lips.

"Good, because I'm not either." He said with a goofy grin.

"Congratulations Catnip, Peeta." I heard Gale say from his place next to Haymitch. I looked over at him and saw, with shock, he was actually smiling. I looked then at Haymitch who even had a few tears in his eyes. He ran up to us and embraced both of us.

"You have no idea how lucky you are." I could hear him whisper into Peetas ear. I made it a point to remember to talk to Haymitch later to find out what he meant. He then kissed me on the top of the head with a "love ya sweetheart," and rushed from the house.

Gale left shortly after, asking if he could go deliver the news to his family with our permission. We told him it was fine and he was out the door. Peeta led me over to our oversized leather couch and sat me down. He told me to wait there and he ran up the stairs. He came back a moment later and sat next to me.

"I have something that I have been meaning to give you and I think now might be the right time."

"What is it?" He pulled a small black leather box and dropped down on his knee.

"I know your feelings on marriage, but I thought I'd try anyway. I've been waiting for the perfect moment to ask for the past few weeks and I feel that finding out we are having a child is the best moment for this." He said with complete seriousness. "Katniss, I know you know this already, but I love you more than anything. Will you please allow me to be your husband with the bread?" I gave him a slight chuckle as he swiped away the stray happy tear that ran down my cheek. I got down on my knees next to him and held his face in my hands.

"I would love to be your Wife on Fire Peeta." I said in between kisses. He stood up bringing me with him and spun me around in his arms. He put me down and opened up the leather box. Inside was a beautiful simple ring. It had a silver band and a round diamond. He took it out of the box and slipped it onto the ring finger of my left hand.

"I love you Peeta." I whispered.

"I love you to Katniss."


	10. Chapter 10:Girl

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to post; my creativity has been channeled into a musical collaboration with my friends. Sorry, I'll try not to take so long next time.

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 10: Girl (The Beatles)

I awoke the next morning to find Peeta lying awake next to me stroking the hair out of my eyes. He smiled when he realized they were open and leaned down to kiss the corner of the one closest to him.

"You slept well." He told me with a smile. I nodded and smiled back t him, though I could feel a familiar queasiness starting in my stomach. We laid there for another few minutes until we heard the bang of the front door and footsteps coming up the stairs. The bedroom door flew open and showed a half sober Haymitch and smiley Leo.

"Get up we're leaving in an hour." Haymitch told us, pulling the covers off of us. He groaned, obviously not liking what he saw and threw them back on.

"_We?" _ I asked him. Until this moment I was under the impression that only Peeta and I were going to District 4.

"You don't think you two were going without us did you?" Leo asked brightly, slightly bouncing with excitement.

"Haymitch I'm sure you have something else you would rather be doing than babysitting us once again." Peeta said to our mentor. Haymitch looked at him seriously.

"Peeta, Katniss, I want to protect you, more than ever now." He said cryptically before exiting our room pulling Leo by the collar.

Peeta and I shared a look before getting up to dress. And that is when I felt the stomach bile rising out of my esophagus. I ran to the bathroom and let nasty fluids flow into the toilet. I brushed my teeth and realized I didn't have time for a shower so I brushed my hair and put it into its usual braid. As I tied the bottom of my braid with a rubber band I felt Peeta wrap his arms around me from behind and lay his hands on my stomach. I sighed and leaned into him.

"You said you would marry me yesterday, after you told me you were pregnant. Real or not real?" I could tell he knew by the large smile reflecting in the mirror in front of us. I grinned and turned in his arms to face him.

"Real." I said before I gently kissed him. He went to deepen it, but I pulled away with a smirk and walked into our bedroom. I heard him growl lightly in frustration. I picked up my leather jacket and looked over my shoulder. "There is going to be two very boring days and one long night for that ahead of us." I winked and walked out the door and down the stairs.

I walked into the kitchen where Leo and Haymitch were helping themselves to the breakfast loaves that Peeta had baked last night.

"Seriously?" I asked rather irritated that they were helping themselves to my breakfast.

"There will be no cheese buns until the bakery is up and running." Peeta said coming down the stairs. I smiled at the decision he had made last night. He was going to reopen Mellark bakery and one day teach our children the lessons he learned there.

"That's an amazing idea little brother, need help with construction?" Leo asked with a huge smile.

"I wouldn't dream of doing it without you brother!" Peeta responded. He put his arms around me again and I gave a slight laugh to where my thoughts had gone. The three men gave me a weird look so I decided to explain myself.

"Maybe our son or daughter will find the love of his life at the bakery too." I said teasingly.

"Our daughter is not allowed to fall in love. If we have a girl she is going to be a little girl forever!" I rolled my eyes as the three of them laughed.

Everyone silenced as the door open and we heard the familiar click clack. Haymitch growled. I looked at Peeta who was looking at his brother with pity and guilty eyes. I was suddenly excited. I didn't realize I could miss someone so obnoxious.

"Where is she? It's going to be a big big big- oomph!" I ran into her and squeezed her, ruffling her blazer. "Oh Katniss I am so so so excited!" she put me at arm's length and smiled. She spun me around slowly to get a glimpse of how badly I had let myself go before she released me.

"Okay now where is the daddy!" She squealed in excitement. Peeta ran to her embrace and picked her up off the floor in a very Peeta like fashion. We could hear Effie rambling on and on about manners but she couldn't suppress the large grin the broke out across her face as he released her.

"Effie, how did you know?" I asked.

"Oh darling, Haymitch told me of course!" she said as if I should have already known. I looked at my mentor and he shrugged. "And you my fine man must me Leonardo Mellark. It is surely my pleasure." She then turned her attentions to Haymitch. "Good you aren't completely intoxicated yet. Attempt to be sober when we arrive in four tomorrow? Annie would like us to have dinner with her an little Finn." She told us all. My heart instantly broke for my friends. Annie and Finnick Odair jr. They would never be full without Finnick, sr. and I was to blame for the misfortune. I didn't just lose a best friend and fellow rebel that day, I lost someone who understood. And they lost a husband and a father.

I swiped away the tears that had fallen from my eyes and don my cheeks and began to follow Effie's orders to leave. Our bags were already by the front door and we gathered around them, everyone grabbing their own. Peeta and I had planned on staying two weeks and visit with my mother and Annie while we were there, there for altogether we had three bags. I went to grab two of them but Peeta pushed my hands away.

"I know this is going to get irritating, but you are just going to have to get used to me waiting on you hand and foot for the next nine months, love." Peeta told me with a kiss on the forehead.

"Me too, sweetheart." I heard Haymitch say along with Leo's "Don't forget the kids' favorite uncle!" I gave a smile to amuse them, but underneath was a irritated growl only heard by Peeta. Effie seemed pleased though, and if Effie was pleased, life was easier for everyone.

With bags in tow we took the short walk to the train station and to my surprise the tributes train was waiting for us. Effie looked smugly at us, wait for praise and applause. When she got none, she began to lightly stomp her foot like a child and clearing her throat as our signal.

"Wow Effie, how did you manage to get us this brilliant piece of history?" Peeta asked her.

"How sweet of you to ask, Peeta! This beautiful piece of machinery has officially been left in your control. You can do with it as you please. Take where you want whenever you want, lend to whomever you want. There is always a staff waiting to run it!" She said pleasantly. My jaw dropped. We had been receiving some extreme gifts but this one just seemed over the top. "I'll plan an amazing honeymoon spot for the both of you, I promise!" She said with a wink. We chuckled nervously, both of us suddenly remembering we promised Effie she could plan out wedding.

We boarded the train and I instantly felt the calming familiarity of home take over me. I feel like a have spent so much time here find myself, and find Peeta here, that this truly is another home for me. And that is when I love the idea that this huge train now belongs to our little family. I ran off to the room that Peeta and I used to share during the Victory tour and plopped down on the bed. It was still as comfortable as I remembered it. A few moments later Peeta followed and placed our bags in the corner of the room. He laid down beside me and wrapped me up in his arms.

"It's true this time."I told him. He simply chuckled and pulled me closer to the point where our noses were touching. I leaned in to brush his lips with mine and he instantly deepened it. It was like a light breeze was blowing across the spark in my gut. I pushed my tongue through his lips and he moaned into my mouth. He pushed me onto my back and the kiss continued on its path. I brought my hands to the hem of his shirt and he pulled away from me with a laugh.

"We have plenty of time for that later now don't we Ms. Everdeen?" I gave him a 'hmph' and crossed my arms like a child. This just made him laugh harder. He held his hand out to mine to help me up but I refused it.

"I asked them to make us some hot chocolate, love…" he bribed. At the thought of the succulent drink my ears and eyes perked up and I took his hand and let him lead me to the dinning area.

"Leo, that is mahogany!" I could hear Effie chastising from the other room. I burst out laughing as I saw a similar scene to one three long years ago on my way to my first hunger games. Leo had his hand wrapped around a knife that was sticking out of the rich wood dining table.

"Leo, trust me, you do NOT want to be doing that." Peeta laughed at his older brother. Effie was tapping her toe and shooting Leo a look, though it wasn't as cold as some of the ones that we would receive from her during our times as tributes. Peeta and I took our old seats next to one another and I began to sip on my chocolate drink.

"Never a letdown," I mumbled to myself regarding the drink.

"Apparently neither is my brother!" Leo boomed. Even I couldn't help but laugh as Peeta punched his sibling in the arm. Haymitch decided to make his appearance at this point and sit at the head of other head of the table, opposite Effie.

"My girl was pregnant when Snow killed her." he blurted out after a few minutes of silence. I suddenly understood at that moment. We were all stunned silent. None of us really knew what to say to this confession. No one but the master of words himself.

"Nothing is going to happen to her, I promise." I finally understood Haymitches weird attitude yesterday, he was scared for me, he was scared for my child, and he was scared that if anything happened to us Peeta would end up just like him.

"I know things are different now, believe me, but I still have that anxiety." He took a deep breath before continuing. "If you ever bring this up I will deny I am saying this wholeheartedly but, I care too much about you guys now. You are the only family I have, all of you, even Effie for god's sake. If you will allow me, I would like to be there for you kid, in any way you will allow me." Haymitch said this as he took Peetas and my hands in his. My hormones being out of whack made tears fill my eyes and I ran over to hug him.

"Aww sweetheart I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset." He said hugging me tightly.

"I think there is one position open in our childs life." I whispered into his ear. He looked at me with hopeful eyes.

"What position would that be?" he whispered back.

"Since the man who walks a bride down the aisle is usually the womans father, and I was hoping you would walk me down the aisle since mine is not here, perhaps you would do the honor of being the little ones grandfather while you're at it?"

I had never seen Haymitch give so genuine a smile. His yellow teeth managed to light up the room as he gave me a teary nod and hugged me once again. He went over to a teary Peeta as well and hugged him tightly, though I could tell he was still giving him words of warning.

* * *

_There was a breeze in the meadow and Peeta had his arms wrapped around me. I kept craning my neck to look at something, but I couldn't remember what I was looking for. And then I saw her, a little girl with blonde hair and grey eyes. At first I thought it was a little Prim but then I knew it was my little girl. My beautiful little mixture of Peeta and myself. I wanted to call out for her to come to me, to let me hold her, to see that she was real but I didn't know her name yet. She was still a little alien being inside of me as far as I knew. _

_ As if Peeta read my mind he called out for her. "Dahlia come back over, mama should be getting home." He called to her. I smiled, Dahlia was the perfect name for such a perfect little girl. I felt Peetas hands on my stomach and I looked down to see a large bump. I was obviously pregnant._

_ "Mama, when is Zephyr going to be here? I want my baby brother to play with!" the little one said in her three year old speech. I smiled and kissed her head. _

_ "Soon darling, but for now, we need to get you to Grandpa Haymitch." I told her. She chuckled lightly._

_ "Yeah you should get to the bakery before uncle Leo makes it explode!" she giggled again. Peeta picked her up and swung her over onto his hips._

_ "I think that you just want to go play with the goslings and have gramps spoil you rotten!" he teased. She blushed profusely before straightening her back and pretending to zip her lips. _

_ "I love you Dahlia." I said with a laugh of my own._

"Dahlia, honey, who's Dahlia?" I heard reality Peeta say from beside me on the bed. My eyes snapped open and I realize I had been talking in my sleep again.

"Dahlia is the name of our daughter Peeta."

He looked at me oddly before beginning his next round of questioning. "And what makes you think that we are having a girl?" I simply smiled.

"A mother always knows Peeta." I said as snuggled up to him.

"Always knows huh?" He asked suggestively. "Do they always know things about their hus- fiancés?"

"I know you want me right now." I fired back at him.

"Wow you are good!" he chuckled as his lips met mine.

This wasn't the rushed sex that we often had for release. This was love making at its finest.

When we were laying breathless and naked in each other's arms about to fall asleep I decided to throw the other part of my dream at him.

"By the way," I began breathlessly against his chest. "We're going to have a son named Zephyr in about three years."

As I drifted asleep I could hear his heart rate quicken. But that was the way I knew he was still alive.


	11. Chapter 11: Cabin by the Sea

A/N: Hello everyone, thank you so much for the reviews_**. I LOVE GETTING THEM**_! Keep it up haha. Anyway, we are going to see the one and only Annie Cresta Odair in this chapter and I really hope you like my take on her. I don't like how people called her nuts so I almost gave her a sense of being a clairvoyant or just more in tune with nature and people than others. I hope you enjoy!

2:I want to explain the names of the kids

Dahlia is easy, it's a beautiful flower that I actually have sitting next to me right now in my back yard..

Zephyr was a name I liked before but then I looked it up and its part of the name of a plant genus where there are plants like Zephyr Lilies ….so. I hope you like the names I choose guys!

Chapter 11: Cabin by the Sea (The Dirty Heads)

The air was hot and thick, and smelled heavily of salt. I stood on the train platform as flashes of cameras went off and tried to enjoy the wind that attempted to blow across my face. But I couldn't, not with the screaming of the reporters behind me. Evidently my pregnancy was not a secret and I was glad Effie was there to dictate things.

Peeta stood next to me, gripping onto my hand and glaring at anyone who got too close to me while Leo stood tall on my other side and Haymitch stood protectively in front of us. Effie all the while was too busy making sure that the reporters were getting her good side.

Over the shouts of reporters demanding answers for their questions, I heard the happy squeal of my mother yelling my name from the end of the platform.

"Katniss, over here honey!" I heard her say excitedly. I pulled Peeta with me and ran into my mother's arms, looking for the comfort I wasn't even sure she could give me. She squeezed me tightly before pulling away to look at an stiff Peeta standing a few feet away.

"Why are you standing there? Get over here and hug me young man!" She told him with a chuckle. He smiled and hugged my mother.

"Hello Mrs. Everdeen, it is nice to see you again!" He said pleasantly.

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "Please call me Sage, Peeta." He nodded in response and took hold of my hand again.

We quickly followed her away from the platform where the reporters were being contained and down narrow roads with palm trees and high above the homes. It took us about ten minutes to reach the ocean. I stopped and stared out at the beautiful blue water littered with people. District 4 was much farther along in its rebuild than District 12 was at this point. There were men and women old and young holding nets and spears and tridents and I smiled.

"I'm here Finnick." I whispered to myself, closing my eyes. I felt the wind blow off the water and for a moment it felt like he was there with me, sharing his home with me like he wanted to.

"Katniss, Peeta you're here!" I heard a wispy voice say behind me. I turned around to see none other than Annie Cresta Odair standing in the door way of a cabin that laid on the grass right before the sand of the shore. I smiled widely as she approached and took my hands in hers. "You feel him around us don't you?" she asked in her way. I smiled and let a tear go from my eyes for my fallen friend. "Don't cry, he wouldn't want you to cry during such a happy time Katniss. He always spoke so fondly of you. He considered you a great friend, as do I. Will you meet Finn?" I nodded and she looped her arm in mine.

She walked me into the surprisingly large cabin and I realized that we were in fact in their victor's village. She lead me into the living room where there was a bassinet set up next to the couch decorated with sea animals and a net design sewn into the sides. Inside was a beautiful baby boy with sandy blond hair and smile that could melt hearts.

"He really is a little Finnick." I said with a smile. It was just the three of us in the house I realized, but there was something about Annie that always made me calm.

"He is. I don't know what I would have done if your mother wasn't here to help me while I was pregnant. I was a wreck, even I knew I was wreck." She laughed awkwardly. I smiled though, I was happy my mother could be there for someone I loved even if she could never have been there for me.

"I'm happy too. Is it… difficult?" I asked her, hoping she would know my meaning.

"Yes it is, but you will be fine Katniss." I smiled and as she put a little Finn into my arms. I was instantly scared of holding something so tiny in my arms. At least when I held an infant Prim, I was tiny too. But here I was a full grown adult with a tiny baby in my arms. I was afraid I would drop the precious being or suffocate him if I moved the wrong way or break him in general. But it soon came naturally to me. I stared into the bright green eyes of the cooing baby and all I could think of is the moment I met his father.

"Would you like a sugar cube Katniss?" Annie asked from beside me, holding a bowl of sugar cubes as if she knew. This behaviour didn't freak me out anymore, I had gotten used to this behaviour back in District 13.

I chuckled and took the little cube of pure sweetness. I popped it into my lips and Finn reached up and smacked my cheek. I could hear Haymitchs booming laughter as he plopped down on the seat Annie had vacated.

"If only I could've gotten away with that during the games!" Haymitch joked. Both Peeta and I glared at him, while my mother pretended to be occupied with something else.

We didn't have much more time to get situated before I had to be at the hospital. Peeta, mother and I walked through the rather busy streets of District 4 the hospital that lay in the heart of the city- or town- of the district. The hospital looked like a small version of a Capitol building. It was shiny and polished, made of metal and glass.

We walked through the main doors and I could smell how sterile the environment was. It wasn't pleasant to be honest it was a rather uncomfortable. But one thing did comfort me, the fact that I couldn't get sick from faulty, out of date materials and that my baby would get the best treatment needed.

"We need one of these in District 12!" Peeta exclaimed as we entered the glass elevator that would take us straight to the doctor's office.

"Christof really is the best OB/GYN in all of the district, perhaps Panem. They wanted to schedule you with Harmonica Bourne, but I said no, only Christof Rouge for my little girl." My mom said as she led us past the front desk, through the waiting room and into secluded room that held monitors and machines and an examination table and chairs for loved ones. Peeta and my mother sat down, and I was expected to sit on the examination table. I was a little intimidated by it so instead I sat in Peetas lap. He lightly rubbed my lower back with one hand and entwined his fingers in mine over my still relatively flat belly.

I turned my head to the left so that I could look into his ocean eyes straight on. I could see the anxiousness in them, I could see the fear, I could see the excitement and I could see the love. I was giving him what he had always wanted, a family of his own. And I couldn't be happier making him happy…if that made any sense.

After about five minutes of mindless chitchat and listening to what my mother and Peeta thought the baby would be and how it would look the door opened to reveal a tall strong looking man of a certain age. But he was damn good looking for that age. I glanced at my mother to see she was twirling the piece of hair that always falls right in front of her ear, and place it behind her. A feat she only has when she is nervous or anxious. That's when it hit me. Mother had a crush on my new doctor. Did she even care I was pregnant or was this just an excuse for her to see him? I tried not to let my irritation show on my face.

He closed the door and stood for a moment gazing at both Peeta and I, as if he were taking pictures or trying to brand out images into his mind.

"Katniss Vervain Everdeen, the Mockingjay herself will be birthing a babyjay." He said to me. He looked at Peeta next. "And you, you are a very brave young man. I don't think any of us can truly understand what you suffered and gave up to save us." He held his hand out to Peeta and shook it with all his strength. When they let go he continues. "But here you are, the star-crossed lovers getting their happy ending!" He ended on a happy note. Feeling like this guy was a little full of shit I looked over at my mother. I was greeted to the sight of her holding her hands together over her heart and sighing.

The hormones were not what made me want to puke at that moment.

After my mother and Dr. Rouge flirted back and forth for a few moments, my appointment finally began by drawing blood and taking a urine sample. I was told that with the new technology, all results would be back by the end of the appointment that day. Rouge told me to change into a papered gown and I watched as Peetas knuckles turned white, obviously something about paper gowns reminded him of the Capitol. I wasn't worried though. He hadn't had any horrible flashbacks since he had started taking his antidote properly. I changed quickly and sat on the table to await further instructions.

Rouge told me to lie back and that he was going to do an ultrasound on my stomach to see the baby and hear the heart beat. When he said this I once again became frightened. What if there wasn't a heartbeat? What if something happened to the baby? Would Peeta leave me? Would he forgive me? Would I forgive myself? I mildly felt a cold gel being spread over my abdomen by a wand like device that was attached to what he referred to as the ultrasound machine. And that's when I heard it. I heard the thrumming of the heart beat of our babyjay. Fast like the little wings of the mockingjays. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. I looked up to Peeta with big eyes and even a bigger smile to see he was as happy as a child who was getting a sweet for the first time in his life. He took some pictures and told my mom to go get them from the printer.

"So I know that commonly you would have to wait much further into your pregnancy to find out the sex, but there have been some major medical breakthroughs since the Fall. Basically I'm asking if you want to know the sex." He told us when mother handed him my chart.

"Yes." Peeta and I both said without even looking at one another.

My mother and Rouge chuckled a bit. "Well, your little bird will be a little girl." I squealed and turned to Peeta who was standing behind my chair. He came around the chair and picked me up out of it and spun me slightly while trying not to rid me of my lunch.

"Dahlia Primrose Mellark that is her name." I told Peeta and my mother before anyone could say anything.

My mother took me by surprise and didn't break down but simply smiled. "Prim would have been a darling aunt to little Dahlia, I am sure she is honored that you are naming your child for her." She smiled and hugged us both again before rushing off to catch her next shift on the holistic medication floor. Peeta and I exchanged an odd look before we left the office and attempted to find our way out of the maze of a hospital.

"I guess mothers do know." Peeta said, still as fascinated as I was. I gave him a ten watt smile and put my arms around him as we walked back towards the Annies cabin.


	12. Chapter 12: Sunshine

A/N: Hey everyone I was wondering if I could get your input.

I have had a couple ideas about my next story and I was wondering what you guys would want to read more:

A story of what would happen if Katniss actually became president of Panem

A story starting in Catching Fire- Mocking jay changing some of the outcomes.

A story where Peeta and Katniss have a relationship of some sort before they are thrown in.

Let me know what you think please and I will write a one shot to give a teaser to the most voted one!

And very sorry it took me so long to post, things are kind of crazy these days haha.

Remember to Review! I don't know what you like and what I am doing wrong unless you tell me!

Peace,

NTA

Chapter 12: Sunshine (Matisyahu)

It was our last day in District 4 and this trip had quickly turned into vacation. I sat on a towel on the beach laying back into Peetas arms. I was wearing what the District 4 residents referred to as a bathing suit, as all women and girls wore, and Peeta was wearing swimming trunks, what was used for them boys and men. My hair was out of its braid and slightly flowing in the wind that was coming off of the beach and I tried to control it but, it was nearly impossible. Put not as impossible as covering up in this suit they call clothing.

While I had opted out of one of the skimpier pieces of swim wear which was more like a bra and underwear, the one piece that I was wearing had cutouts in my sides, and no straps to hold it up. I could definitely see how these outfits would not be practical for working in, but more recreational use. I looked around at the people with us and smiled. My mother was sitting under an umbrella holding a diapered Finn while Annie explained the different shells to Leo and Haymitch. Effie was an entirely different scenario. She looked like I had never seen her before, natural. She wore no wig and allowed for her natural sandy blonde hair to cascade long down her dyed skin. She wore no make-up or shoes the height of the training center in the capitol. The only extravagant thing about her was her bathing suit which was a shiny baby blue two piece which she insisted on having. I thought she looked more beautiful in that moment than ever before, I told her so whenever she passed me. It was evident I was not the only one thinking this either. Haymitch was even trying to hide his huge grin and far too long glances at her as they walked about the shoreline. I laughed at the thought of those two being a couple. I shared this thought with Peeta who just shrugged his shoulders and told me anything was possible.

This was definitely true. Anything is possible. I would never in a million years believed that I would have led a country into a winning battle, after becoming one of two victors in the Hunger Games with my faux-now true- love of my life; who I am now engaged to and expecting our first child to be born in March.

"How are we feeling today babe?"Peeta asked into my ear. I smiled, I loved when he used pet names for some reason. I didn't have an explanation, I just loved it.

"Are you referring to me or the little girl inside of belly?" I asked jokingly. He chuckled a bit.

"Hmm…both I guess."

"We are amazing. I love it here, the beach is amazing. I want to bring our kids here during the summer every year." I told him. He kissed the top of my head and I could feel his smile.

"Anything for you babe, and for our baby!" he said the latter a bit louder as if he was conversing with her.

I stood from the blanket and held my hand out to Peeta to help him up, but it was unnecessary, he stood up easily, or as easily as you can with a prosthetic leg, and held out his arm for me to take it.

"I like the name you chose by the way." Peeta said suddenly. "I was kind of hoping that we would pick names out together, but I think that Dahlia is beautiful name, Kat." I smiled and hooked my arms around him as we walked to the shore line.

We stood on the wet sand and allowed for the water to cover our ankles. I wanted desperately to teach Peeta how to swim, but the ocean would not be the best place for him to learn, seeing as I had no way of knowing if footage of me and Peeta in the water at the Quarter Quell was used during his hijacking.

"I'm going to teach you how to swim in the lake back home. It's where my dad taught me. I think it will be easier there than here." I said pointing to the high crushing waves. Peeta nodded and smiled excitedly, though I could tell he knew the real reason why I would rather teach him elsewhere.

"There is a hospital opening up in District 12." My mother informed us once we got back to our blanket. "It should be up and running by the January." She said. I knew she wasn't coming back to help open the hospital in twelve like she had for District 4, and I was kind of happy about that. Seeing how happy she is in this place and seeing how much she helps Annie and Finn, I knew she felt needed here where she wouldn't back home. Though I was glad she wouldn't be abandoning Annie, part of me was irritated that she wasn't planning on visiting her own grandchild when she was born, at least not to my knowledge.

"I hope you will visit after the baby is born." Peeta told my mother. He obviously had no problem speaking his mind to her.

"Of course I will." She said unconvincingly with a fake smile. I understood she couldn't go back to twelve, but I still wished she would try for once in my life. I didn't say anything though, I couldn't say anything to her, I just didn't have it in me.

We packed up our things and walked up to the house where Annie was preparing a large dinner for our last evening. We sat down to the table that was filled with various delicious seafood dishes.

"Annie, this looks amazing." I said as we all began to pile food onto our plates. I picked up an oyster sucked the slimy meat into my mouth and swallowed it. I detested the slimy texture of the meat, but the flavor didn't seem to upset my stomach like the texture did.

"Thank you so much Katniss, Oysters were always Finnicks favorite. I tried to make them as often as I could." She said dreamily as she averted her gaze to a framed picture on the wall. It was one of Annie and Finnick in the water after a day of hard work. She has her arms placed behind her neck and his on her waist. It is the happiest I had ever seen either of them.

"So are Finnick and I going to see you in the Capitol for the year anniversary of the Civil War?" she never called her son by his full name so I could only assume she slipped into one of her moments where she thinks Finnick is still in this realm of reality. I couldn't help but groan as I remember the deal we all made with Plutarch before leaving.

In order to keep the cameras away from our daily lives we agreed that on important dates of the rebellion such as big anniversaries of the Capitol bombing and the end of the war; as well as remembrance day: the day in which we celebrate and grieve those who were killed in the Hunger Games, we would have to be there. This winter we will be celebrating the first year of peace, and remembrance day will occur in the upcoming spring, May 1st.

"Yes you will see us there. We are presenting awards to those who fought ruthlessly for the cause." Peeta tells the group. My thoughts suddenly shift to Gale. Who his bombs make him a candidate for a medal? Many didn't know that we could have won the war without his bombs; therefore, many believe his despicable design won us our freedom.

"That is wonderful! I think you two are the best candidates for the job!" my mother said in her way that tells me there was something on her mind. And I knew exactly what it was. Primrose Vervaine Everdeen. I didn't push her to talk because a) I knew she wouldn't and b) I didn't want her to slump back into her depression for Annie and Finn. That was the last thing that they needed.

We finished our meal quickly and my mother and, surprisingly, Effie went to clean the dishes in the kitchen. I went to the couch and laid back into Peetas always awaiting arms. It was the only true place I felt safe. Though I had to admit, I have taken a liking to District 4. Despite its complete lack of woods it was beautiful and peaceful.

"So Dahlia is a nice name." Leo told us, approving.

"Thank you, I actually decided I would let Peeta pick out her middle name. I think that would be fair." I turned my head around to see his beautiful blues beaming at me.

"Crissant, it's a take on Croissant." He said blushing. He had obviously already been thinking about all of this. Leo began to belly busting laugh at the name he chose. While it wasn't the best in the world, I actually liked it.

"Another bread name man?" Leo managed to let say.

"Oh shut up Lefse. Don't act like Artemis is the only one without a bread name." Peeta retorted. This immediately shut Leo up. Now it was my turn to laugh a bit.

"A croissant does sound kind of good though." I said seriously to my fiancée. He chuckled and made his way into the kitchen to bake me a treat.

Moments like these are something that I never wanted. Now that I have them, I couldn't picture my life differently. A part of me even questioned why I had been so against all of this. And then it hit me why. The Hunger Games. But the dread of this thought only lasted a moment because a wave of relief washed over me when I realized that my child will only ever have to learn about them in a History class.


	13. Chapter 13: Toxicity

You all must hate me right now! I know it has taken so long for me to update but the only excuse I have is, I am chronically ill and my problems have not been ideal to say the least, I have had a slight case of writers block, and I have been going to concerts like a maniac [contrary to popular belief sick people live their lives haha]

Forgive me?

To everyone who reviews, THANK YOU! It makes my day when I see I have reviews.

In honor of my final concert of the summer, and my all time favorite band, I bring you

….!

Chapter 13: Toxicity (System of a Down)

The fall passed quickly and before I knew it I had a small belly sticking out between my hips. In that time that passed between our visit to District 4 and the days before we were to leave for the Capito,l Peeta had managed to rebuild the Mellark bakery with the help of Leo and Thom. Peeta decided that only the best of the best equipment from the Capitol would be used in his bakery. The morning in late November the train holding all of the ovens, and mixers and various equipment showed up, Peeta was like a child who got to eat a piece of candy for the first time. Peeta awoke early to rush off to the bakery and set everything up. Leaving me with a kiss on the forehead he rushed off to town to help the workers.

Peeta had planned a blow out grand "re"-opening for the bakery. To continue on with his father's work he kept the same name: "Mellarks Bakery: pastries and baked goods" sending a sketch to the capitol to have the original sign remade to how it was before. Though unlike his father, Leo had brought up the idea of being a café where the people could come in, get a treat and a hot or cold drink, and eat it there. Leo tried to explain to me the how this would be good for profits but I couldn't pretend to understand. Peeta, who is much smarter than I, understood this and agreed wholeheartedly. I did agree with him though. It would nice for the people of the district to have a place to go and relax, without having to pay ridiculous amounts of money.

The opening celebration was to take place after Peeta, Haymitch and I returned to the District after our two week stay in the Capitol for the anniversary of the end of the Panem Civil War and the celebration of our new government.

We were set to leave on December 1st, with my five month pregnant belly in tow, it felt like I had a small luggage bag strapped to my front. The morning we were set to catch the train Peeta had to put his manipulation skills to the test. After all a five month pregnant woman who is actually getting sleep, is not going to want to leave her cozy bed to go somewhere she hates.

"Katniss, if you plan on showering before we leave, I suggest you get out of bed now." I didn't move but instead grumbled and pulled the blanket over my head to block out the lights he had turned on to wake me. I heard him let out a frustrated sigh, and as if on cue I felt a hard jab in the kidneys from our little flower. I popped up right suddenly, earning a shocked look from Peeta. Dahlia who was continuing her kickboxing in my belly had moved to kick towards my abdomen. I grabbed Peetas hand and placed it right about my belly button and waited for her to kick.

"Come on little one, you can do it." Peeta whispered to my stomach. Though I had always found this strange, even when my father would speak to Prim before she was born, I thought it was cute coming from Peeta and allowed him to do as he pleased. Most of the time, he would even get a reaction from her. Again Dahlia took her cue to kick me in the stomach and right where she felt the warmth of her father's hand. He kissed the spot before he beamed up at me, planting a kiss on my lips. It was the first time our little girl had kicked. While I was in complete joy for a moment, my nerves matched my joy equally.

I thought that nothing could interrupt that perfect moment, but I was quickly proved wrong when I heard the door open and close and the sound of the familiar clickity clack of stiletto shoes.

"Ugh, she's early." I groaned out, laying back down and pulling the covers back over my head. Peeta laughed brightly and pulled the down comforter off of me, carrying it down the stairs with him to greet our guest.

"You jerk!" I yelled after him, though unable to hide the smile in my voice at his playful antics that I could only describe as completely Peeta like. I trudged out of bed stripping myself of my clothes as I walked to the bathroom and climbed into the hot shower. After five minutes I heard the click clack of heels in my bedroom and a light knock on the door, Effie on the other side telling me I needed to hurry so we could start our big day.

I exited the shower moments later, wringing out my hair of the excess water before brushing and braiding routinely. My clothes had begun to get snug as my stomach grew with the life of another but I still had elastic waist pants, skirts and dresses that would fit comfortably over my stomach. On this particular day I dressed in a long forest green cotton dress with three quarter sleeves and a stylish leather jacket with fur lined inside as well as the fur lined hood, that Cinna had once designed for me for the Victory Tour and those cold but fashion important days.

I walked down the stairs to see Peeta, Haymitch, Effie and Gale sitting in the living room. While Gale and I had been on relatively good terms, the anniversary of the End of the War also meant the anniversary of my little duck, my little Prim. The day she died.

"Well finally there you are!" Effie exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. I looked on her in shock, she looked almost normal. While her attire was much the same with a neon blue skirt and jacket with matching heels, her skin and hair was completely that of…well a human. She lacked a wig and instead wore her naturally light blonde hair was pulled back on one side with jeweled hair pins and her skin, which once made her look like a blank piece of paper, had begun to turn back into a natural cream.

"Wow, Effie, I like your new look!" I told her brightly. She smiled and smoothed out her skirt after standing from her place on the loveseat.

She gave a slight sniff and ran up to me with opened arms. Before I knew it, I was hugging Effie Trinket. "It just means so much to me that you like Katniss. You are my inspiration for it." I gave her a quizzical look, waiting for her to explain. "You have always been you, no matter what you wear or do, you do so being only yourself, an amazing girl with ….alright manners." It was obvious that the last part was a joke so I laughed appropriately.

"You seem happy Effie." I told her, while resisting the urge to hug her again, something I usually hate.

"Things are different, they're better." She said brightly. I could see this as her way to tell me that what we are about to see, won't be too horrible.

Peeta quickly grabbed our bags as Effie ushered us out of the house and into the waiting car that was going to take us to the train station which was only ten minutes away by foot. We boarded the train that Peeta and I had donated to the district for public use, now that everybody and anybody were allowed to travel in between districts. It had been decided by Thom, the new mayor, that it would be low cost for all and that all proceeds would go to the upkeep of the train and to the town treasury, for all to benefit from. He after a good hour of discussing everything with him, he finally convinced us to use the train for no cost, but only after we had donated a decent amount of money to the district rebuild process.

We boarded and quickly went to my old room, which I now shared with Peeta. Relaxing and comfort was not the first thing on our agenda. The first thing we did after putting the bags down was search for any microphones and cameras. Though the old ways had been quickly foreboded in the new Capitol, the paranoia that we felt not so long ago had not subsided. We were happy to see that nothing had turned up.

After our hour of searching for the devices we laid tired on the huge bed. The first time I had climbed on a chair to check in the vents, Peeta yelled at me to get down before I fall and hurt our little girl. I simply scowled at him, angrier than I should be, and turned back to my searching. I was shocked when Peeta picked me up off the chair, his arms under my legs and behind my back, and brought me over to the bed. He knew I wasn't going to listen, and I continued to search, while he continued to try and stop me. A feeling of love suddenly shot through me as my chest began to burn pleasantly and my stomach felt like it dropped. I turned onto my side and stared at my fiancée, my future, as he began to drift asleep on the too comfortable bed.

It felt like no time passed when Effie came knocking on our door. "Come on you two, lunch time. Hurry, hurry before it gets cold!" she said in her affected Capitol accent. I opened my eyes and lifted my head that had been resting on Peetas chest, and saw he was still waking up. I stood from the bed, making sure to shake the bed as much as possible to wake him up. I went over to our bags, not yet put away and opened my luggage. I pulled out a deep read long sleeved t-shirt and put them on with my go-to grey sweat pants. One of the only things I am comfortable in anymore.

Peeta eventually stirred when he realized that I was no longer by his side. "Whaz goin' on?" he asked groggily. I chuckled at his sentence, but when I turned around to look at him, I laughed until it felt like my gut was busting. His hair was sticking up at all odd directions, his eyes foggy and red from sleep, his shirt twisted around is body. I couldn't help but smile.

"Lunch time" I told him with a kiss to the forehead. He stood and took my hand. We left our room and walked to the next car where we found Haymitch, Effie and Gale sitting at the table already half done. I sat across from Haymitch, who kept sneaking glances at the reformed Capitol woman at his side. It was obvious, even I caught on. Haymitch was developing a crush for the woman he hated for the past decade or so. He turned his head and saw that I was watching him. Needless to say he looked like a child getting caught stealing a sweet. I grinned and nodded my head at him, almost as if to say "she would be good for you." For the first time ever I saw Haymitch Abernathy blush.

"So tell me, what is on the agenda for tonight?" Haymitch asked, barely slurring his words. As they began to talk Peeta leaned into me and whispered in my ear.

"He must really like her if he is asking her about the schedule." I simply nodded and gave a slight chuckle.

"I guess we have to bring her to the light now." I replied. It had always been blatantly clear about the tension between those two, but no one had enough guts to push them together. But with Gale, Peeta, I, and our little flower, we may have just the man power that we need. And I was excited.

I finished eating quickly, the more food I ate; the fewer times Dahlia would kick me in the ribs. If that was any foreshadowing of how she will be in once she is born, I know that I am in for a treat.

"So what you're saying is, we just get to sit around for a day and a half on a train being waited on until we get to the Capitol?" Gale asked, sounding very pleased.

"Yes, there isn't anything really that needs to be done." She told them. "Oh and Katniss darling, I was thinking that maybe while you were in the capitol, perhaps you and I could get you some maternity clothes." She then lowered her voice and leaned in. "And perhaps a little something for your wedding?" If the Old Effie would have suggested this to me, I would have assumed she was off her meds and through a fit. But the fact was, I, Katniss Everdeen soon to be Mellark, want to go shopping. And with none other than, Effie Trinket.

"I would love that Effie! Definitely!" All eyes turned on me as if to ask what kool aid I had been drinking. I looked at Effie and saw how happy she was and that I made her happy this time, not angry or sad.

"Well then, I am going to go watch the news, bound to be something interesting on." Haymitch said. He gave a glance at Effie, as if he were willing her to come with him. And then the unthinkable happened. She got up and linked her arm with Haymitchs and they walked to the viewing area.

Gale, Peeta and I were left there speechless until Peeta finally broke the silence. "It is about damn time." Gale looked at us strangely at our sudden laughing fit took over us.

By the time we arrived to in the Capitol, it felt like we were on that train for months. I stood by the doors with my hair falling down across my back and wearing a long sleeved yellow shirt under my leather jacket and a pair of black jeans that just buttoned, and of course I was wearing my hunting boots. Cinna would have laughed if he saw them.

This moment had stuck out in my mind like a sore thumb, the panic that washed through me as Peeta and I stepped out onto the platform to the waiting public made me cringe. Not only was I reliving the battle at the Capitol, but I was nervous that a loyalist to the old ways would try to harm me, which would harm Dahlia.

Nothing prepared me for what happened when we stepped out though. Hand in hand we stood on the platform looking out to the people of the luxurious metropolitan in their wigs and physic defying clothing. There was no clapping, not cheering, not even words of hatred. It was eerily quiet, and completely disconcerting. But then it happened, the entire crowd of Capitol citizens raised their three fingers to their lips, and raised their arms in the sky.

I felt a tear slip from my eye. I had been expecting hoards of angry men and women who wanted revenge on us for teaming with a group of people who killed their children. I had been expecting them to hate us for making them equal to our "lowly" districts. I had expected so much less from these people, but it just showed that I was as judgmental as them.

We followed Haymitch and Effie to the car that would take us to the city circle where we would make our first appearance where Peeta would speak freely to the people. When we arrived we were greeted by President Paylor, who looked feminine for the first time.

"Well it is about time that the last of the merry band of rebels showed up!" She said clapping Haymitch on the back.

"Are we late?" Effie asked frantically. Effie did not joke about timeliness. Paylor just shook her head with a low chuckle.

"No Effie, you are precisely on time as always." She told her kindly. Effie let out a breath, relieved. "Why don't you all go get caught up with everyone before we begin. Katniss I believe there are a couple of people eager to speak to you." She told me with a smile, pointing behind me. I turned around and saw my mother and Annie in the corner. I ran to my mother's open arms and squeezed her tightly.

"I don't even know what to say right now." My mother said when we pulled away from one another.

"You could tell me that not fitting into any of my clothes is worth it." I said in the faux grumpy voice I used on Peeta when he did something adorably annoying.

"It is worth it sweetheart, I promise you that." My mother told me, placing her aged hand on my cheek. I hadn't noticed that Peeta and Gale were next to me until my mother took each one of them in her arms respectively.

I turned my attention to Annie, who didn't look as if she was doing very well. Peeta, who had a special relationship with Annie because they were locked up at the Capitol together walked over to her and lightly placed his hands on her upper arms, as if he was going to shake her awake. She moved her eyes to look at Peeta and it was like they refocused back into reality. Of course this would be hard for her, Finnick had died a year ago, just like Prim.

"Annie, are you okay?" Peeta asked, forcing her to look into his eyes. When her glassy seaweed green eyes met his ocean blue she smiled dreamily at her friend.

"Hello Peeta, I had a nightmare about our time together in the Capitol prison last night. Johanna was with us too of course." She told him casually. Gale looked at us as if this was something that should not be spoken of, but he didn't quite get it like the rest of us did.

"Was it the time when Johanna mustered up all of her strength to hit me in the back of the head for believing the Jabberjays?" Peeta said with a sad smile. Annie's eyes lit up at the memory.

"No, but that was rather funny." She said dreamily. She was clutching onto little Finn who was now trying to get away from her grips to crawl around on the floor.

"Hey, lover boy deserved it!" I heard the familiar rough voice from behind me. A smile grew across my face as I turned to see one of my best friends. When she got a good look at me she whistled as her eyes grew into giant saucers.

"Damn, fire girl, you're gigantic! How are you carrying that load around?" she said with a huge smile on her face. I scowled, feeling extremely self conscious about my house size stomach. She smiled and came up to me, gripping me in a tight hug. "I'm just kidding. But remember to beep when you're backing up." Gale laughed hysterically and high-fived Johanna. His grin was quickly wiped from his face when he saw my scowl.

"Sorry Catnip." He mumbled. "Is Beetee here? I've been trying to call him for the past week but he won't answer." He asked Johanna. I wasn't surprised that Beetee and Gale were on friendly terms, but I tried to forget what they had created. I loved both of them and thinking about what they had created only hurt.

I knew something was wrong when Johanna sighed and looked at her feet. "Beetee actually….uh… died a couple of days ago." Everything around us had become silent at my loud gasp.

Gale simply nodded and walked toward the stage, lining up to go on.

We sat in chairs that sat against the back of the stage much like we did in the interviews with Ceaser, which were warned would happen again. I sat in between Peeta and my mother, gripping both of their hands for dear life, as Paylor gave her opening speech.

"I am proud to be the leader of this nation. While I will always be the first President of our new equality driven nation of Panem, I am forever a commander in the Rebellion. For years you have had speeches one day a year about the Dark Days. But I don't consider those the black days. I consider the past seventy five years in which we were forced to send our districts children into the lion's den for entertainment, the Dark Days." Paylor announced to the crowd elegantly. "I want to make a promise to all of the people of Panem. You will no longer have to live in fear. Crucial punishments will be foreboded, all men women and children of the districts will go to bed with full, happy stomachs, and no expecting mother shall fear for her child's safety once the child turns twelve. This upcoming year there will be many changes occurring throughout the nation, but this is not a place to discuss such political matters." She said with a sweet smile.

"Today we are here to celebrate our freedom, and our independence from a cruel tyranny. Before there was ever Panem and before the natural disaster, there was a place called The United States of America, that now lies in a grave under our feet. On July fourth every year the citizens of the United States would celebrate their victory and freedom from injustice. As the first president of our new government I declare that every year on December third we do the same and celebrate our own freedom." Paylor stopped speaking as the crowd went crazy, shouting their agreement.

"This day will be a time to celebrate the new ways, and remember all that has been lost, and to make sure that the men and women and children who died in the Great Civil War of Panem will never be forgotten." She smiled as the crowd continued to cheer. "I would now like to welcome up to the microphone, one of our nations heroes: Peeta Mellark" The cheers that came booming from the crowd was the loudest applause any of us had ever heard.

Peeta stood at the podium, allowing them to quiet down before he began to speak. He took a big, deep breath and looked up from his hands and out to the crowd. They stood, truly silent, waiting for their hero to speak.

"The Capitol and the districts of Panem were once toxic places to live. We were afraid of sleep, for you never know who is going to pass away from starvation in their beds. We were afraid to be happy, because it might look suspicious. We were afraid to use our talents and sell products to support our family. Hell, supporting your family can be a scary thing to do when you live in the Districts

"But that fear can leave us now, just as the toxicity of our cities. I come here today to not only remember those that I loved who died in their beliefs of a better world, a fair war, but to also remind you that not all things that have been lost to the reconstruction of our nation are necessarily all good. Snow used to say that the Hunger Games were a cherished part of our heritage to teach us not to rebel. I think we all saw how that work out for me." There were a few chuckles and claps around the crowd, though most came from the rebels sitting behind him on stage.

"Today we celebrate our freedom, and we remember those who gave their lives to give it to us. Tomorrow we remember each and every child that had been forced to become a murder at age twelve. After speaking with our new, amazing, President Paylor, it has been decreed that May tenth will be a holiday of remembrance of those brave children." He began to roll up his cards and put them in his pockets.

The cheering was unbelievable, it was so loud. Not loud enough though that I could hear the gun shoot off the bullet that entered Peetas left shoulder.


	14. Chapter 14: Burn by Myself

Did anyone expect that ending to chapter 13? Honestly, I didn't even expect to write that haha.

This chapter is really _really_ short but I think it fits right being that way. Enjoy!

Oh and only 9 days until _The Hunger Games_ comes out on DVD!

Chapter 14: Burn by Myself [The Dirty Heads]

I sat wide eyed in the Capitol hospital emergency department next to Gale and Annie. Annie gripped onto my hand, rubbing smooth circles with her thumb on the back of my hand; she looked as if she were somewhere else. The rage inside of me was boiling up. The shooter had been caught, but I wanted him to pay for his actions, something that Paylor assured me would happen. I was brought out of my daydream of the shooter suffering for his actions when Annie spoke quietly next to me.

"He is going to be fine Katniss, Peeta is very strong and your mother was able to get to him very quickly to put pressure on the wound." She told me, her mind now back in our realm of reality. I turned and smiled at her, the one person who knew how I was feeling. She had lost Finnick when she was pregnant, just as I feared I would lose Peeta. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Johanna, pacing back and forth, looking as enraged as I felt, the fire in her eyes was undeniable.

I stood from my place and walked to her, grabbing her arms to stop her from moving again.

She practically hissed "How are you not trying to put an arrow through that guy's head right now fire girl? I know it's taking everything in me not to grab an axe and shove it sharp side up his-" she stopped speaking when she saw the look in my eyes.

"You think I don't want to be locked in a room with that ass right now, Jo?" I asked her, my voice shaky from anger, sadness and worst of all fear.

"I'm sorry Katniss, I just-"she paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "We've all been through a lot, and I can't see him going out this way is all."

"I need you to be strong and calm for me. If anything happens, I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself from doing something stupid, from turning into a dummy again." I had gotten her to smile. It seemed odd that I was the one comforting other people when it was my fiancée who had been shot, when it was the father of my daughter in surgery, when it was my Peeta. But that was the only role I knew how to play. I turned to my side and saw Gale standing next to me. I needed him to do something that I didn't trust myself to do; I don't think I could voice what happened.

"Gale, will you call Leo for me, tell him what happened?" I asked, my voice portraying all of the pain that I felt. He simply nodded and placed a light friendly kiss on my hair.

I looked around the waiting room at all of my friends. Haymitch sat on a chair with his head resting in his hands and his elbows resting on his knees. Effie sat next to him, wiping away tears she wished no one would see and placed the hand on Haymitches back. Stationed at the doors were two guards that were to keep everyone out, unless they were authorized to see us, and one that would escort us if someone had to leave this room for any purpose. Paylor had not taken our protection lightly.

I sat in the chair on the other side of Haymitch and waited for him to sit up. I didn't have to wait long as he raised his sad, pity filled, guilty eyes to my own.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I have no clue how I let this happen to him." He told me sorrowfully. I gave him a weak smile.

"It's not your fault this time Haymitch." I joked, but it sounded pathetic coming out. He took my one hand in his and I placed the other one on my stomach where Dahlia was kicking rapidly.

I didn't even want to think what would become of me and Dahlia if something happened to Peeta. I didn't want her to grow up with a deceased father and a depressed mother like I had. But I knew we wouldn't be alone, we would never be alone, but I would always be lonely.

It took another half an hour for my mother to come out of surgery to give us any news on Peeta. Though she wasn't technically trained, I had insisted that she was to be in the operating room with him, she was the only healer I could trust with someone so important to me, because he was important to her too.

I stood and ran to her, grabbing her hands frantically. This was it, the moment I would find out if he was alive, or if I would be living out the rest of my days without him. My heart sunk, and my stomach turned, and not from the life growing inside of me.

And then my mother smiled. "He's going to be okay, Katniss. Peeta is going to be fine." I smiled widely and allowed for happy tears to shed as I let out the breath I had been holding for hours. "The bullet was close to hitting him in the heart; but thanks goodness that the shooter was a bad shot."

"I told you he would be okay Katniss." I heard Annie say from behind me. I turned around and was greeted with the sight of Johanna right behind me, it was if she knew my next move.

"While normally I would tell you to go an kick that guys ass, you told me to stop you, and I don't need two more deaths on my conscious." She said motioning towards my belly.

"Yeah Catnip, why don't you go sit with Peeta and let Jo and I handle this one?" Gale gently demanded. Before I could nod my head I heard Haymitch arguing that he should be the one to get the information from the shooter, which caused them all to start fighting over who got the honor of defending Peeta. I chose to ignore them all and followed my mother out of the waiting room and to Peetas sick bed.

He was lying completely still, even more still than when I fed him the sleeping syrup in our cave during our first games. It broke my heart to see such a strong loving man look so completely frail and broken.

"He won't wake up for some time sweetheart. Why don't you get some rest?" My mother told while practically forcing me to sit down in a recliner next to Peetas bed. At this point I would have done anything she wanted without even knowing what I was doing.

I sat there for hours, going in and out of consciousness while the sun set and rose and Peeta had still not woken from the anesthetic. My boots were lying under the bed, my jacket slung on the back of the recliner, my swollen feet raised on from the chair. At some point in the night someone had brought me a blanket and laid it over me, but my arm stuck out from it. My hand had never let go of Peetas throughout the night.

It was around nine in the morning when a doctor came into the hospital room the next day.

"Miss Everdeen, I am Dr. Tweed, I performed the surgery on Mr. Mellark yesterday." The brightly colored man told me. His voice lacked emotion, all the brightness that should have been in his voice was dyed on his green skin. "I hope you know that we usually do not allow for non-family members to stay here in the ICU or even get any information on the patients, but this is, obviously, a special situation." He finally looked me in the eye.

"Why hasn't he woken up yet?" I asked, my voice hard like his eyes.

"We gave him a sedative after the surgery. We weren't sure how he would react upon waking because of his… history." He said giving me a conveying look.

"The tracker jacker venom you mean." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, we have been in contact with his doctor from District 13 and he has informed us on his antidote. We have recreated it for him here and have given him a couple intravenous doses. If he doesn't wake within the next couple of hours we will give a reversal medication to the sedative." He told me dryly.

"The bullet, it didn't do any major damage?" I asked, I tried not to sound too much like I was pleading for good news.

"No, it missed the bones and joints. It was lodged in the muscle. We will give him some physical therapy exercises that he needs to follow to the 'T' when he leaves, but his arm will be better off than his leg was." At this he gave me a nod and left the room.

I turned to look at Peeta, lying like a statue against the sanitary white sheets. "Did you hear that Peeta? You are going to be okay." I whispered. I sat there for a while longer and watched as nurses came in and out of the room, checking his vitals and shoot medication through his I.V. Eventually I laid my head back against the chair and drifted off into a restless sleep.

I wasn't sure how long I slept, but the sharp jab Dahlia gave me in the gut told me it had been too long since I had last eaten. I opened my eyes and was greeted with the sight of Peetas open eyes.

"Ahh, there she is! Here I thought you were the one knocked out by drugs with those snores." He laughed, his grin never wavering. I scowled at him.

"I don't snore, never have never will." I said with a smile. "How long have you been awake?"

He gave me a sad grin. "Long enough for me to convince them I am not going to go crazy and kill you." He chuckled dryly.

"Well I am glad to hear that. How is your arm?"

"I've had worse. I'm really worried about this paper cut though. Ouch." He said completely seriously as he showed me his thumb which, indeed, did have a paper cut on it. I couldn't help but to lose myself laughing at this. He smiled at me and placed his hand on my abdomen.

"She's okay, right?" he asked, all joking aside. I placed my hand atop of his reassuringly.

"She's perfectly fine; we both are now that you're awake. Can I get you anything? Are you hungry?" I asked him as I stood up, ready to fetch him anything and everything he asked for. He simply smiled and pulled my hand until I sat next to him on the bed.

"Effie and Haymitch have gone to get us all some food. Your mom forced me to take some medication about an hour ago, and from what I hear Jo and Gale are on a war path along side with Paylor." He told me calmly. I was glad to hear that Gale and Johanna were giving the shooter hell when I couldn't. "Plus Annie told me I'll be okay and I've learned to trust her instinct."

"Yes, I would never doubt a word that comes out of Annie's mouth." I smiled, thinking how when I first met Finnick, I couldn't trust a single word that came out of his mouth. "You were wrong Peeta."

He furrowed his brows and gave me a confused look. "About what Katniss?"

"This place is still toxic. If anything happened to you, I wouldn't be able to keep my flame going, I wouldn't be able to burn by myself."

He smiled and squeezed my hand. "You'll never have to."


	15. Chapter 15: Run Daddy Run

I know, I suck. I suck big time. There has been a bit of….let's say drama in my house hold lately. You'll have to read my biography to find out what it was, but it's a damn good story…

Anyway, this chapter is really "fluffy" but things will be heating back up in the next chapter.

I would like to thank everyone for the good reviews!

BTW, I hope everyone is watching the movie as much as I am.

Chapter 15: Run Daddy Run- Miranda Lambert feat. The Pistol Annies (This is on the Hunger Games soundtrack)

It was another week and a half until Peeta was released from the hospital, but we still weren't permitted to go right home to District 12, we still had many events that we were obligated to attend. Peeta didn't seem to mind nearly as much as I thought he should have.

"Peeta, I am sure if you just asked Paylor she will let us go home. You were shot for Christ's sake!" I urged the night before he was released from the hospital.

"What would that say to the people of Panem? "Oh, I fought and now that the rebels won I am going to cry screaming like a coward?' No, I need to show the people that a few loyalists aren't going to change anything." He told me proudly. I tried to fight with him, telling him that people wouldn't think that, but it was a lost cause. When he set his mind to something, it was almost as difficult to convince him to change it as was I.

He didn't have much time to rest after being released as we were swept up into galas and memorials, and the occasional wedding planning with Effie, which we both tried extremely hard to avoid with no avail.

"I still don't understand why you want to wait until the baby is born until getting married…" Effie said shaking her head and tossing her pen down on the table of our room at the old training center.

"I already feel bigger than this damn building Effie! Besides, I know you know where Cinna kept all of his designs for me, if I have to wear a big poofy wedding dress, it is _going_ to be one he made for me." That instantly shut her up. She knew better than to fight with me when it regarded anything to do with Cinna. I could say I was going to cut my hair into the same cropped style he wore, and she knew it was a lost cause to fight.

"So…the baby is due in April..."she tapped he finger to her temple in deep thought before her eyes widened happily. "October wedding! Oh it will be perfect! And it will be in District twelve, of course, it is rather beautiful in the fall." She said as Peeta began to open his mouth for our one demand. In all actuality, this large Capitol traditional wedding meant very little to Peeta and I. We had already planned to go to do our toasting soon after we got back from the Capitol; Effie's ceremony would be more like a reception for us. The only thing that mattered in our District was the toasting, flowers dresses and lamb stew did not mean marriage. Speaking of lamb stew…

"Don't forget the lamb stew. Lots and lots of Lamb stew. Ooh! And that that orange stuff with the pecans and the brown sugar… actually can I get some of that now?" Haymitch and Peeta busted out laughing as my mouth watered and my grey eyes sparkled like the silver we used to eat with in the Capitol.

"You mean the sweet potatoes?" I nodded my head vigorously. "I will go call down to the kitchen…" she said a little flustered, we did after all have a whole spread out on the table.

"Thank you, Effie!"

"Pig," Haymitch said with a snort. I glared at him menacingly, though I knew he was joking. I decided to play along.

"Drunk,"

"Oink oink!" he snorted.

"Glug, glug!" I yelled back. He stopped his crusade on my pregnant eating habits.

"I guess you haven't noticed that I haven't had a drink in twenty four hours." He said proudly, puffing out his chest. I was taken aback.

"Really?" Peeta asked with an almost offensive amount of shock. Haymitch glared at him.

"Yeah, the doc gave me this medicine that makes me sick every time I mix it with alcohol." He snorted before continuing. "You know what I was doing if I come in your room vomiting on you." He cackled. I stood from my chair and walked to my old mentor. I bent down and put my face close to him before smirking.

"I'm proud of you, Haymitch. I'm sure Effie is too." His smile straightened into a thin line and his eyes popped into large circles. He couldn't even bring himself to respond. "I win." I pulled away and sat back in my seat as Effie came back to the table, carrying my plate of sweet goodness. I barely got back to my seat before I heard Haymitch muttering about "spoiled little brat can't mind her own damn business."

After an afternoon of shopping with Effie we boarded the train to go home. She drug us around the Capitol from store to store buying things that none of us truly needed. Except me, I was finally able to get some clothes that actually fit me.

Haymitch was grumpy as ever, he didn't enjoy being shoved through every bright metal or class door that occupied the Capitol, especially with no alcohol in his system. He didn't even say much, but when he did it was usually something snarky. Though Effie made sure to get him something amusing that would distract him from the need to drink. She tried to convince him to buy a puppy, but he insisted that if he was sick of taking care of other things, and he was good with his geese, at least they could double as food if he really needed it. So instead he bought a device in which he could play games on the television. He, Gale and Peeta were excited to get back to twelve so that they could break it in. Peeta and Gale bought similar ones for themselves. I had a feeling I would be in a battle with this device for attention.

Gale, Peeta and Haymitch were especially bored when Effie took me into a store specifically for maternity clothes, and insisted that the men did not break away and go into another school. That was our last stop before boarding the train.

The train ride seemed longer than ever. I was so anxious to get back to my district, to the woods and the fresh air. When we finally got there, I practically ran down the steps in anticipation for the fresh winter air, after giving Effie a long hug goodbye.

The four of us walked through town, nodding at the residents of twelve that greeted us and ignoring those who still treated us as lepers, with an attendant from the train who offered to help us carry all of our things. We had tried to tell him it was unnecessary, but Haymitch brought up a good point. With all the shopping that Effie had us doing, we returned with triple the amount we had left with. The attendant brought the bags to Peeta and my house and put them down on the porch. We had tried to pay him for his help, but he refused, telling us that it is us who should be the one getting paid, and blushed as he asked if he could take a picture with Peeta, Haymitch and I for his daughters who had been begging to take archery lessons for months. Haymitch grumbled, but I sent him a look that clearly read "you will do it and you will pretend to like it" which quickly put him in his place…on my right side.

Gale pointed the camera at the four of us and the man went to leave. Before he could I unlocked the door to our house and ran inside to the coat closet in the entryway. I found what I was looking for quickly and ran back outside to the group.

"Give this to your daughter." I said as I handed him one of my old quivers, without any arrows, which I had stumbled upon in the woods one day a few months ago. I still had my father's old bow and quiver, which I would never rid of, and the set that Beetee had made me. This is one that I had made myself, and the workmanship was a little sloppy, but I knew the young girl would appreciate it none the less. The man tried to deny it, but eventually he realized that he would be denying his daughter and took the leather pouch from me.

We sat on our front porch a few more minutes, trying to sort out all of our things, which was more difficult than I had expected with all of the bags we had returned with. Once that was done, Gale went back to his, my old, house to see his mother and siblings, while Haymitch returned to his to make sure his geese didn't die.

Peeta and I entered our own home and I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. Peeta went to carry several bags, at least a third of them, up the stairs to our bedroom, but I quickly stopped him and took half of that out of his hands.

"You were just shot; think you could take it easy?" I scolded him once we were up the stairs. He simply chuckled and kissed me on the forehead. "I'm not kidding Peeta, I know that they have advanced medication in the Capitol, but if anything happens to you here, quite frankly, you're screwed."

"Kat, don't worry so much about me. I will be fine. You are the one that needs to be taking things slowly."

"But I'm not the one injured." I bounced back at him, giving my best stern look. We held eye contact for a minute, challenging one another to blink first signaling that they had given in. Peeta was the first to talk, but he didn't blink.

"Damn, you are going to be a really amazing mother." I blinked at the comment, unsure what to say, but my heart swelling with happiness that he didn't think I would disappoint him or the child. As I blinked Peeta threw his arms up in the hair and 'wooped', knowing that he had one the challenge. I scowled at him and lay down on the bed, elevating my feet and allowed Peeta to get the rest of the bags, though he did bring up only a few at a time.

That's us, fighting over who gets to take care of the other.

The rest of the night was filled with pure laziness and gluttony on both of our parts. It was difficult to get Peeta to sit around and do absolutely nothing with me usually, but after the time in the Capitol, he was more than happy to be a sloth with me.

We had fallen asleep on the couch, laying side by side, my back to his front, and my belly slightly hanging off of the couch, but not that much that it was uncomfortable.

We had been asleep for a few hours when it happened. I was dreaming of Prim, and how she would look when she was older, very much like my mother, and how she would love and spoil Dahlia, teaching her the gentleness of healing to balance out her fiery side that was much like me. She was showing Dahlia how to wrap a bandage when Prim's eyes met my own.

"Wake up, Katniss. You need to go to the healer." Prim told me calmly. I didn't understand until I was awoken with a horrible pain in my abdomen. I felt as if my muscles were tearing and spasming. I opened my eyes and began to yell Peetas name to wake him up.

Peeta opened his eyes, assuming it was another nightmare, but when he saw me he jumped over me and off of the couch. He didn't hesitate as he put on his shoes and jacket quickly, and then bundled me up. He picked me up and began to walk quickly into town, my screams echoing around the deserted district.


	16. Just an authors note, don't hate me

Hello everyone who has been reviewing for more story this is only an authors note I'm sorry.

I just want to say that College is the ruiner of all fun and sanity. That being said my chapters are going to be a little further apart than they already are.

BUT! Since I don't have much work right now I am going to try and write something amazing and get it to you all within the next few days.

Please don't hate me because I am choosing thousands of dollars in debt so I can sit in a chair and listen to people talk for hours. THEY SAID IT WILL MAKE ME MONEY IN THE END!

I love you all!

Nikki


	17. Chapter 16: Baby it

I know I seem like a total asshole, but living happily ever after isn't always realistic. As the cool kids like to say…this shit be cray. Or something…

Enjoy this next chapter! School is so freaking school like its ridiculous. As a college Junior all you do is read, read and read some more and every once in a while you actually do homework. Then again I am an English Writing major with a philosophy minor so I hope it is understandable. I hope that I'll get some more time to work on this though.

Chapter 16: Baby it's Fact (Hellogoodbye)

My mother had told me a story once when I was too young to understand the world, which was odd because my father was usually the one who would sing and tell stories to Prim and I. This story, though, was one of a young women of little wealth who lived happily ever after with a handsome Prince. At the time I had to ask my mother to explain to me what a prince was, having never heard the term commonly used. When she told me that it meant his father and mother were the rulers of a nation, called a king and queen, and he would one day rule, I asked her why someone would ever want to live with such a horrible person. She then explained to me that leaders weren't all like they were in Panem. It was the only time my mother had vocalized her distaste for our government.

For a year I had imagined what it would be like if a handsome, rich prince had truly existed and came to sweep me off my feet and take me out of the Seam and to a fairy tale life far far away. But then I soon found out how life really was, and all of these thoughts were swept clean from my mind.

It was years later when I thought of this story again. It was right after I had moved in with Peeta and we were lying in bed. He had fallen asleep and had begun to snore lightly like he did when he was deeply resting, and the story popped into my head. I felt as if I had found my happily ever after. Peeta was a prince who treated me like a queen, though he refused to put up with my crap.

It was this thought that I went back to as I laid in a bed at the new town doctors home, and temporary office, that was located in the middle of town close to where the hospital will be located.

When Peeta picked me up and rushed me from the house, the pain had been so bad that I had woken up Haymitch, Gale, Hazelle, and Leo from my echoing screams.

"Peeta what the hell did you do to her?" I heard Gale yell as he ran after us.

` "Shut up Gale!" I called, his name turning into a scream as another pain ripped through my body. I opened my eyes to see Hazelle running next to us.

"Peeta, is there any blood?" She asked frantically. I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth.

"No…I-I don't think so."

"That's a good sign kid." Haymitch responded, wheezing in the cold. I suddenly felt a slight heaviness and some warmth and cracked open my eyes to see that Leo had laid the blanket over me which he had wrapped around himself when he ran outside to inspect the Village.

"You're going to be okay, you've got some good Karma built up." He said trying to calm me.

"What the hell is karma?!" I screamed frustratingly at him. He chuckled.

And that is around the time I lost consciousness. This morning I woke up to the bright lights that were peaking through the window. I looked to my right to see Peeta attempting to rest in hard metal chair. His head was lying on my thigh and his hand was clasping my own despite his current state of consciousness. I looked around to the left side of the room where Gale, Haymitch, Leo and Rory all sitting next to each other on a small sofa, heads on their neighbors shoulder, Haymitch of course was snoring, more like oinking, in his sleep. I chuckled at the sight of these men all gathered around my bed. I felt like that other fairytale princess, Snow White with her seven loyal diamond mining dwarves. Considering this is a mining district I find that to be a comically accurate comparison.

All the sudden I felt a pressure relieving my thigh and the squeezing feeling of Peetas hand hardening, and a shift in weight on the bed as Peeta laid next to me.

"Is she okay?" He smiled at me and nodded.

"Yes you are fine, but you might want to start referring to them as Dahlia and Zephyr." I let out a breath of relief. I then realized what he said and my eyes rounded.

"What happened? And why didn't they know about the second baby?!"

"It was something called Braxton Hicks. It was basically fake labor. You weren't having the baby or losing the baby, but having this so early in your pregnancy. The doctor said you are ordered to do less work, more play and much much much more rest…that means only hunting perhaps every other week." I nodded my understanding. It was simple enough to follow along with. But I knew Peeta was only appeasing me by saying I could still hunt, if he had it his way I would be in a bed for the next four months, him carrying me around and doing everything for me. I make him a promise instead that I will never go alone, and I'll try to keep it to a minimum. "As for the other baby, they did an ultrasound and saw two little ones in there, two heart beats, and lets just say they saw a difference in anatomy." He chuckled slightly, I could tell that he was thrilled. But his face quickly turned serious again. "Are you…okay with that? I know you didn't want one child let alone two… I just want you to be happy about this."

I smiled and squeezed his hand back. "I won't lie, I'm nervous. Two children are a lot to handle. Hell, one child is a lot to handle. But, I am kinda excited about this. What's his middle name, dad?" Peetas smile grew impossibly large. I pictured him in a tree, his body fading away like in one of the books my mother was able to hide and keep, that was passed down from generation to generation in her family. The capitol was never able to burn it like the rest. It was called Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

It was the first time that I had to referred to him as 'dad' of anyway, and I could tell he was excited for them to be born.

"Well, I think I am going to pass down the family name. did you know that my father's name was also Peeta?" I shook my head. "He was the last boy in his family too."

"Dahlia Cressant and Zephyr Peeta Mellark." I said happily before we fell into a comfortable silence.

It was soon after that when my dwarves decided to wake up. First it was Grumpy (Haymitch) followed by Doc, Dopey and Bashful (Gale, Rory and Leo respectively).

"Looks like the little ones are going to be almost as much trouble as you are." Haymitch said sleepily. I gave him a smile, I wasn't in the mood to come up with a witty retort.

"Watch out gramps. If they're anything like me they'll start to drive you crazy the moment that you see them." Haymitchs laughter boomed through the room.

"Hey Catnip. I wish I could stay but the mines open today and I was supposed to be there four hours ago." He chuckled. We both know that he didn't have to work in the mines anymore, but we also both knew that he wouldn't feel right if he didn't bring money in steadily for his family. He hugged me and left with Rory who promised to go hunting and drop off some fresh game this afternoon.

"What did you do to my niece and nephew!" Leo joked.

"What did they do to me?" I joked back. A moment later the Doctor and his nurse wife walked into the room for another exam. A beat red Haymitch and Leo said hurried goodbyes with the promise to come to the house tonight to, basically, do my bidding.

"Hello Ms. Everdeen, I am Dr. James Fox, this is my wife and nurse, Chamomile. I want to tell you first off that your children are completely fine and growing nicely. But you really should eat more throughout the day, twins need more. Twins have a tendency to be smaller because if you think about it this way, you are splitting the nutrients you are putting into your body three ways." I nodded my understanding and his wife continued.

"I have twins myself, so I want you to know right off the bat, the possibility of one baby being smaller by the other by a few ounces is completely normal. It doesn't necessarily indicate that they are unhealthy." She told me sweetly.

"Actually our one boy who was smaller is now bigger than the other." He chuckled. "They are only ten now so I guess we shall see how they turn out."

"Thank you for this information, I truly appreciate the honesty. I can tell you we haven't met any doctors who have been a hundred percent honest and forthright with us in the past." Peeta responded. Chamomile gave us a sad smile.

"Most doctors are from the capitol. I am from district 7 and James is from district 4. We excelled in school and had the option to study in the Capitol. That doesn't happen usually in the districts but they would much rather have somebody from the district working in their district instead of forcing Capitol doctors to work elsewhere. Things are different now though. They are going to build universities in every district that can be attended by anyone who wishes to. They are also going to allow anyone who wants to, to study in the capitol. This new government that you two helped bring about is the best thing that this nation has ever seen. We are proud rebels." She told me, standing straighter when she told us where they stood.

"We both fought against the capitol when the bombs started going off." Dr. Fox added.

"Thank you, very much." I responded, slightly teary from hormones. "That was a very difficult battle for men and women who have been trained fighters since birth. All the help we got from citizens truly helped us win."

"Thank you. Anyway, back to the medical jargon. You experienced something called Braxton Hicks. Usually it's know to be more of a false labor which happens in the later months of pregnancy, you might even get them again in a couple months. If you begin to bleed profusely is when you need to rush here." Dr. Fox spoke a little longer before doing an exam and another ultrasound.

I stared at the screen in awe by the fact that there were not only one but two tiny people inside of me. I was frightened that I would be a horrible mother. Frightened that I would ruin my children like, my mother did me. Frightened that I would break them or something.

But then I remembered Prim. Prim would discount all of these facts and then infer that I was an idiot for even thinking them. Her main argument would be her. She would argue that I basically raised her, as a child myself. And I wouldn't be able to argue back because she was the best person I had ever known. Along with my future husband. And if they were half him, they would turn out to be perfect little angels.


	18. Chapter 17: Little Sister

Please don't faint from the shock of an update!

I am so sorry for those of you who actually read this story and follow it faithfully; my last semester was kind of crazy to say the least. But lucky for you all I am going to be updating more because I am not going to be able to go back to the same school. I'm going to transfer in the fall to a new school and take a couple of courses at the county college to just get a few credits out of the way.

And to top it off my medical condition is getting much worse, so I am basically at doctors every day. If only my Doctor looked like David Tennant or Matt Smith (or as brilliant as the character they play) I probably wouldn't mind as much.

But yep, my sob story is over, I really hope that this chapter is good because it has been so very long since I have last updated.

So I have decided that this story is probably going to end with the Capitol wedding. I have had horrible writers block, with everything, not just this story, but I promise I am not just going to let this story go.

Enjoy!

Chapter 17: Little Sister [Queens of the Stoneage]

It was a good week before Peeta continued work on the bakery, and another month until he allowed me to stay by myself. At first it was Haymitch who had been unfortunate enough to get the job as my babysitter, but as can be expected when you leave the two of us alone for hours at a time without Peetas warm calming nature to settle us, we quickly began to fight like cats and dogs. At the moment of our blow up that caused my babysitter to be changed to Leo, I couldn't get past my anger and frustration at him, but looking back the situation was actually rather humorous.

_In my fourth month of pregnancy I was beginning to show, and I was feeling the heaviness, and the hunger, of carrying twins. But what I was finding to be the weirdest thing about pregnancy was the fact that I wasn't waking up three hours before the sun rose. There were a few days that I almost slept until noon. It was on a particular Tuesday after Peeta went back to finish up construction on the bakery kitchen that I woke up at 11:30 in the morning and walked downstairs completely famished that I found Haymitch snoring on the couch, his feet propped up on the table, with the television blaring, another one of Plutarch's stupid shows playing reruns; there was a coffee mug that he had obviously kicked over with the brown liquid dripping off of the edge and onto the floor. _

_To say the least I could almost feel the steam streaming out of my ears._

_I grabbed the remote and turned off the television and stared at my mentor, waiting for some sign of life from him, besides the nasally snorts of the common sleeping pig, because that is what his snoring sounded like. After another few moments I decided to move around to the back of the couch where his head was hanging lazily, and flick the cartilage of his ear. _

_I really should have expected the knife to be in his hand, I mean he is almost always armed, but at the time I was too irritated with him to think logically. Without even opening his eyes, Haymitch stood and threw the knife, sticking it firmly in the door to the study._

"_Haymitch! That door is mahogany!" As soon as the words left my mouth I wanted to reel them back in and rewind the last ten minutes. I sounded like Effie, I was quoting Effie. I knew then and there that this was not going to turn out well for me._

_Immediately after I said the words Haymitch eyes shined with laughter as his body shook and his voice boomed the same hilarity._

"_Shut up Haymitch." I said quickly with a scowl, in my own very Katniss way. He continued to laugh as he plopped down on the couch and turned the television back on, propping his feet back on the table._

"_Make me some breakfast Eff?" he asked, once again breaking out in hysterical laughter. _

_And that was the end of my fuse. I grabbed the back of his shirt collar and yanked it up. I heard a gurgled Haymitch cursing._

"_Out! Out! OUT!" I swung the door open and threw him out onto the porch; I walked back and grabbed his shoes and his knife. I threw the shoes at him one by one hitting him in the gut. When he saw that I had the knife in my hand he began to turn bright red; evidently angry and scared._

"_Sweetheart, come on!" He pleaded. I advanced a bit and he puffed his chest out. "Katniss I swear to fu—" he didn't get a chance to finish his statement as I flicked my wrist down and the knife lodged itself in between Haymitchs big toe and second toe. _

"_You ape shit crazy bitch." He deadpanned. He let out a harsh breath, but didn't leave yet. "At least give me a bottle of whiskey before I go?" I walked back to the kitchen and grabbed one of the diluted bottles from the pantry. I handed it to him and he took his crap and left. _

_Needless to say that evening when Peeta came home I got a bit of a lecture… before he made fun of me for my Effie moment._

But finally I convinced Peeta to let me free. It had less to do with me and the twins being completely fine, but everything to do with the fact that The Mellark Bakery was having a grand re-opening celebration that the entire district would be attending and eating at, completely free of charge, for opening day.

It was the morning of the opening and Peeta and I were still asleep in bed. The sun was just beginning to rise and we should have been awake but both of us were far too exhausted. I lay on my back, one of the only comfortable positions anymore, and Peeta had his hand resting on my stomach.

And then suddenly we were both awake.

"What the hell was that?" I practically squealed out of shock. Peeta who was now up and straddling my legs was rubbing my stomach like it was a magic ball.

"I think one of them kicked. Katniss, the babies are starting to kick!" He practically yelled. And as if they heard his voice they began to do a jig in my uterus. Peeta began to laugh and kiss my stomach where he could feel the tiny little feet smacking against my humongous belly. And being the hormonal mess that I am I began to blubber, with the biggest smile on my face.

"I love you." I heard Peeta say out of nowhere. He sat next to me and took my face in his hands "I love you so damn much, I don't want to wait to have our toasting any longer. All of the important people in our life are here for this opening, all of the people who we agreed we need to share the big moments in our life with, so why wait?" I open my mouth to talk but he doesn't allow it. "We will still do that damn Capitol wedding for Effie, and do the damn Propo for Plutarch, but this is for us. I don't want that to be the way I remember marrying you… well say something!" I chuckled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Peeta. Now kiss me before I go insane." He smiled and leaned in to capture my lips with his, but as the pressure of his body pressed against my abdomen continued I began to feel a very familiar feeling.

I really had to pee.

I pressed my legs tightly together and Peeta detached from my mouth feeling me tense.

"You have to pee don't you?" he asked with a goofy smile on his face because he knew that he was right.

"Yes! Now please get off of me so I can go to the bathroom." He snickered and began to slowly, very slowly, began to get off of me. I growled at his cruel form of torture, I might have also called him a dick. When he was finally off of me I jumped out of the bed and ran for the bathroom door, ignoring the laughing buffoon in a lump on the bed.

Since I was already in the bathroom I decided that I should just shower then considering the showering situation wouldn't be as easy with our two houseguests. It had been a bit of a surprise to me when I opened the door two days ago and found a group of my friends from other districts piled onto my and Peetas porch.

"_Hey, brainless plus, are you gonna sit there and stare or are you going to let us in?" Johanna has asked me in a way that I would only find acceptable by her. I finally remember a conversation I had with Peeta a few weeks ago in bed, but I was already half asleep that I almost thought it was a dream. But I couldn't respond to her. My attention was completely focused on my mother standing next to Annie and a growing Finn. I moved back from the door to let them all pile in._

"_Mom, you're… here. In District 12," I say breathlessly. "You didn't have to come." I tell her. I love my mother, and I loved seeing her how she was in District 4, and I didn't want the memories of what was lost affect that change I saw in her._

_She gave me a small smile and touched my cheek. "I know, but I wanted to be here for the re-opening, for you and for Peeta." She said gently. "Besides, I was there when Rye opened the last Mellark bakery; it is only fair that I be here when Peeta re-opens it." _

"_Thank you, mom." _

"_I only ask that maybe I could stay somewhere else instead of across the street." She swallowed dryly, trying to keep it together. "There are too many memories." I smiled and linked my arm with hers and led her to the living room where Johanna, Annie, and Effie had grouped._

"_Katniss, what happened to the study door? You know this wood is mahogany!" Effie said pointing to the giant hole that Haymitch's knife had made. I heard a snort and boom of laughter from the door. I turned and saw Peeta and Haymitch standing in the doorway; Peeta trying to cover up his laugh and Haymitch laughing with a gusto trying to tell the story._

I got out of the shower and gracelessly walked over to the closet I stored all of the clothes that Cinna had made for me in. I sifted through the dresses until I found the one that I was looking for. It was made out of a heavy stretchy material, and I had found myself wearing it quite a bit in the past month. It was an off white and brilliantly simple. Something that Cinna made just for me. It had long sleeves and the skirt of it hit the floor. The back was my favorite part though. It adorned the same black lace going down to my lower back as the orange dress that I wore on my birthday for my first official date with Peeta. I smiled and slipped into it as the door flew open.

Johanna walked through the door sleepily and rolled herself up in our blankets next to a dozing Peeta.

"Good morning Jo." I said climbing next to her like I had every morning for the past couple of weeks.

"Make her stop." Johanna whined about Effie, who was an early riser and wanted everyone to rise with her. Peeta chuckled and poked Johanna in the ribs who responded by smacking him in the stomach, hard. The way they acted like brother and sister was adorable. I wondered if the twins would act like these two do. "Why couldn't Effie just stay with Haymitch anyway? It's not like we don't all know those two are-" Peeta put his hand over her mouth to keep us from wanting to vomit at the thought of Effie and Haymitch doing unspeakable things.

"She said it wasn't proper for her to stay alone with a man whom she was not betrothed or committed too." I explained in my best Capitolite accent. She simply growled and pushed herself down into the pillows more.

"Christ Peeta, could you move over your hogging the whole bed! Your whale of a fiancé is going to squish me over here!"

"Johanna, it's a king size bed." Peeta replied with his eyes still closed.

"It doesn't mean that I don't have enough space!" I chuckled as Johanna winked at me and began pushing Peeta over with her legs.

He simple huffed and got up to get a shower. "Here happy? You can have your girl time now you bratty little shit."

"Aww I'm sorry Peeta, really you don't have to go, but you really should shower, you smell gross." She said with the most insincere smile I had ever seen. In response Peeta simply grinned and with the stealth of a cheetah he flicked her in between the eyes and ran to the bathroom laughing. I grabbed Jo around the middle as she went to chase him. She eventually lay back down.

She was silent for a few moments as she got cozy again in the blankets.

"Did I ever tell you I had and older two brothers and a younger sister?" she asked me with a haunted smile on her face. I shook my head. "You guys remind me of them. When I am with you guys it's like I have family again. It was like that with Finnick, too." She took a deep breath. "If you ever tell anyone I said this I am going slit your throat; thank you for being my sister Katniss." My eyes popped open in shock and I shed a couple of hormonal tears along with Jo. "I swear brainless I will fucking kill you if you tell anyone about this. Now sit up so I can braid your hair twerp." I laughed and did as she said. Johanna had taken a liking to playing with my hair since she got abominatedly drunk with Haymitch earlier in the week. They had managed to find a bottle of whisky that I hadn't been able to cut with water yet.

The morning passed quickly and before I knew it all of the residents of Victors Village, permanent and temporary, were filling out into the road to walk together to town. But first there was an announcement that needed to be made.

"Guys before we go, Katniss and I would like to ask something of you." I squeezed his hand to continue. "The truth is, we really don't want to wait to get married anymore, and with everyone here we thought we would go to the Justice building and have our toasting tonight after the opening." Effie gasped and immediately began to show her disappointment and disapproval.

"Effie we're still going to have our Capitol wedding, but we want to share this moment, the real moment with all of the people we love, including you." After much convincing she finally gave in.

"Of course we'll be there." Annie said softly.

I looked over at Gale, trying to read his face, looking for a sign that he was about to crack.

"All of us. You can count on all of the Hawthornes being there today, Catnip." He said with a smile.

I smiled back at him and turned to look at Peeta, who was looking at Gale. He smiled at him and nodded his head at him in a sign of thanks.

As we began to walk to town, Effie and my mom jabbering about reception plans, it began to hit me. Really truly hit me.

I looked over at Jo who stood to my right and remembering our conversation from earlier I linked my arm with hers as I held firmly onto Peetas hand with my left. She was right, we were all family. We may have been forced together, some of us pitted against each other in the beginning, but now these were the people who needed to be here to be our witnesses.

"I'm happy I didn't kill you, Jo." I told her flatly and honestly.

"I'm happy I didn't kill you too, brainless."

"You two are morbid." I heard Peeta say. Johanna and I began to laugh lightheartedly.

This day was to be my wedding day. This was the day that I would officially make Peeta, the unborn twins, and I a family with the name to seal it. This was my wedding date, and I wasn't scared a damn bit.


End file.
